In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Reserve Bank’s MPC sees persistent inflation risk, raises repo rate to 7% BL Premium reports that at the close of its three-day meeting on Thursday, the SA Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) raised borrowing costs at the steepest rate in two decades for a third consecutive time. As predicted, the MPC lifted the repo rate by 75 basis points (bps), taking the rate to 7% from 6.25%. The decision was split 3-2, with two committee members voting for a 50 bps rise. Since the start of the hiking cycle in November 2021, interest rates have increased by a cumulative 350 bps. The Bank’s forecast of headline inflation for this year rose to 6.7% from 6.5% at its two previous meetings. For 2023, headline inflation was revised to 5.4% (from 5.3% previously), while 4.5% is expected in 2024 (from 4.6%). The MPC said the economy would grow 1.8% in 2022, compared to its previous predictions of 1.9% in September and 2% in July. The economy is forecast to expand 1.1% in 2023 (from 1.4% previously) and 1.4% in 2024, from 1.7%. At a press briefing, SARB governor Lesetja Kganyago said “we have now made a series of changes and we expect that to start filtering through the system” with inflation expected to slow in response. The Bank’s rate decision came a day after SA headline inflation came in on the upside, accelerating to 7.6% in October, above consensus expectations of 7.4%. Kganyago said the number was a “surprise” even to the Bank, which had expected prices to have risen by just 7.3%. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thuletho Zwane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eskom power station boss wears bulletproof vest after exposing corruption TimesLive reports that it was revealed by Eskom CEO André de Ruyter on Thursday that one of the power utility’s coal-fired power station managers wears a bulletproof vest and has two bodyguards after exposing corruption at the plant. “That’s not an ideal management situation,” De Ruyter said of the security measures in place at the plant, just one of many affected by criminality. He did not name the manager but lauded him for making strides against a “hotbed of corruption”. Speaking at an Exporters Western Cape networking event in Cape Town, De Ruyter outlined the huge challenge of combating internal crime syndicates contributing to the country's power crisis. “Coal corruption is endemic in our supply chains. It is a battle, it is really tricky,” he said. De Ruyter went on to comment: “There is an ecosystem in which we operate. A fish cannot swim in a toxic stream — unless we clean up the stream we cannot hope to fix Eskom.” Despite crime and other challenges, De Ruyter said he believed SA would survive its power crisis and possibly benefit from it in the form of business opportunities and a more competitive economy. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bobby Jordan at TimesLive Man who threatened Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer with bomb granted R2,000 bail SowetanLive reports that an EFF branch chair from eMalahleni, Thapelo Mnisi, was released on R2,000 bail by the Witbank Magistrate's Court on Monday on a charge of contravening the Explosives Act. Mnisi from KwaGuqa, Witbank, was arrested last Friday, in connection with a bomb threat message he allegedly sent to Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer in May this year. According to Hawks spokesperson Lt Col Philani Nkwalase, the alleged bomb threat was preceded by reports of nepotism at Eskom, and when his complaint was not responded to, he launched an attack on the COO. “He was part of a group of people from KwaGuqa who were trained as boilermakers at Kusile power station by a company contracted to Eskom. The group was allegedly promised to be absorbed through permanent employment opportunities in the organisation. However, upon qualifying as boilermakers, they were only called to work on a casual basis,” Nkwalase reported. He said Mnisi and his group were enraged when they were not hired and found out about other people who were allegedly employed while they were excluded. Mnisi's case was postponed to 17 January. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Belinda Pheto at SowetanLive
SA Post Office workers march to Parliament, Union Buildings to demand 15% wage hike EWN reports that demanding a 15% salary increase, along with a list of other demands, SA Post Office (SAPO) workers kicked off their two-day strike on Thursday. They urged government to intervene and iron out the issues crippling the state-owned enterprise. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) backed the Communication Workers Union (CWU) as its members handed over a memorandum of demands at Parliament and at the Union Buildings. SAPO workers are also seeking a housing subsidy of R2,500, a guarantee that their salaries will not be reduced and that their working hours will remain the same. CWU provincial secretary Wayne Bredenkamp said that they also wanted issues regarding their medical aid sorted out. Cosatu provincial secretary Malvern de Bruyn was at Parliament on Thursday to support the striking workers: “We want government to intervene and we want the CEO of Post Office to be removed. We want government to listen to the demands because, ultimately, Cosatu will come out in numbers to put pressure on government.” SAPO management said that they would respond to the workers’ demands once they had assessed the memorandum. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Kevin Brandt at EWN. Read too, As Post Office faces financial crisis, workers demand what’s owed to them, at GroundUp Saccawu plans pickets at Makro warehouses on Black Friday and also on Saturday Fin24 reports that the SA Commercial, Catering, and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu) is planning to picket at all of Makro warehouses in SA on Black Friday (25 November) as well as on Saturday. The union accuses the Massmart-owned company of dismissing its wage demands and targeting members. But, the firm maintains that not all its staff are supportive of the union's actions, and it expects normal trade in its stores over the two-day period. In October, Saccawu submitted a memorandum of demands including a R900 or 12% increase across the board, whichever was greater, an R8,000 minimum wage, as well as a thirteenth cheque. The union launched a three-day strike at the time. "Instead of responding to our memorandum and heeding the initiative by the union to return to the table and find an amicable solution to the current dispute, the company has elected to threaten members to withhold payment of bonuses through an internal memo," the union claimed in a statement on Thursday. Saccawu accused Makro of forcing its members to leave the union by targeting shop stewards by "victimising and harassing" them. Massmart’s Brian Leroni said the group was aware that Saccawu intended to target Makro with strikes for some time and had prepared and implemented contingency plans, including the deployment of trained temporary employees. According to Leroni, Makro pays the highest minimum wage in the retail industry and has among the best maternity, medical and pension benefits. "Our position remains unchanged and is consistent with the 4.5% wage offer that Saccawu has agreed during the past two weeks in our Game and Builders stores,” Leroni indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24. Read too, Makro says planned strike won't disrupt its Black Friday sales, at Business Insider SA Doctors at Bara left scrambling on Tuesday without nurses, admin clerks or service staff Financial Mail reports that only emergency surgeries went ahead at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital on Tuesday. Unions affiliated with Cosatu, Fedusa and Saftu downed tools for the third time this year, demanding a 10% salary increase for public sector workers against the government’s offer of only 3%. Outside the hospital, people dressed in trade union garb hung about the main entrance and blocked entry during the morning. Inside Africa’s largest hospital it was chaos. Doctors were working, but there were almost no nurses. There were also very few admin clerks or service staff, including porters to move patients between wards or to theatres and back. “Bara was a ghost town this morning,” said an intern. Doctors were not asked to strike, but nurses faced pressure and intimidation to stay away from work, several interns in the hospital explained. “There were a bunch of union guys going to each ward to check that there were no nurses around,” claimed an intern, who showed a picture on his phone of a man in red regalia seen patrolling the hospital’s hallways earlier in the day. A few nurses came in because they were concerned about their patients, especially if they worked with children. To avoid being identified, they dressed up as patients or in civvies. Many of the hospital’s non-emergency patients were being sent home to take pressure off the remaining staff. Fifteen women reportedly went into labour in the admissions area, because doctors couldn’t get to them in time. Exhausted doctors said they were frightened of the effect the strike might have if it continued in the long term. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jesse Copelyn at Financial Mail (subscriber access only)
Cosatu, ANC and SACP to march to ConCourt on Saturday against Janusz Waluś parole IOL reports that the ANC and its alliance partners, labour federation Cosatu and the SA Communist Party (SACP), will march to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on Saturday to protest against the parole release of Janusz Waluś, Chris Hani’s killer. This week, a unanimous judgment by the court ordered Justice Minister Ronald Lamola to release Waluś on parole within 10 days. Waluś shot and killed Hani on the morning of 10 April 1993. He has served 29 years for the murder. In a joint statement, the secretariat of the three organisations said a programme of action would be implemented starting with a picket at the ConCourt in Joburg on Saturday. The programme of action includes a legal strategy and mass protest, resulting in a national day of action. Hani was the general secretary of the SACP and a member of the ANC national executive committee when he was shot dead at his home in Boksburg. His assassination nearly plunged SA into a civil war. Walus successfully approached the ConCourt to ask the apex court to set aside the Supreme Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss his application to appeal against the Pretoria High Court’s judgment that upheld the refusal of his parole in March 2020. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molaole Montsho at IOL
Reelected SA Football Players Union leader denies graft claims SowetanLive reports that maladministration and corruption are some of the accusations levelled against SA Football Players Union (Safpu) president Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe following his re-election last weekend. Gaoshubelwe and his executive were reelected unopposed last Friday during the union congress in Cape Town. But while he strongly denies any wrongdoing, former union member Lovers Mohlala has questioned the legitimacy of last week's gathering. Mohlala, who claims to have been fired from the union in 2015 by Gaoshubelwe, has accused him, his vice-president Tebogo Monyai and secretary Nhlanhla Tshabalala of running the union into the ground and claimed no-one knew about the elections. “When there are elections people must contest them. Who was contesting against Thulaganyo? Who was contesting against Tshabalala and whom did he beat? The same with Monyai?, Mohala asked. But Gaoshubelwe dismissed Mohlala's concerns as lies, adding he was chosen by the players to lead the union again. Gaoshubelwe will be leading for the second term. He said he was pleased with the improvement they had made since he took over in 2018. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Neville Khoza at SowetanLive
Free State municipality unable to salaries on time, gets its attached vehicles back IOL reports that the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality in Harrismith in the Free State, which has experienced financial distress and political instability over the past few years, has won a legal bid to get its attached vehicles back. A week ago, the municipality was left red-faced after some of its assets were attached by a sheriff from the Phuthaditjaba magisterial district. The attachment was meant to recover money owed by the municipality to several service providers who had gone unpaid for months – some even years. The municipality is led by the MAP16 Civic Movement (MAP16), a party started by 16 former ANC councillors after they were expelled for refusing to implement mandates from the governing party. In an order granted by the Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday, it was ruled the municipality should get its tools of trade (motor vehicles) back with immediate effect. In a statement after the court victory, the municipality’s mayor, Gilbert Mokotso said what happened was unfortunate as the sheriff should not have attached the vehicles in the first place. He said without the vehicles, they had been unable to collect revenue to be used to pay salaries, and this meant their staff members would be paid late. “Our staff could not do anything for over a week. This has caused us a big backlog, which has affected our cash flow to an extent that our staff will receive their salaries in tranches up until 30 November 2022 as per their salary levels,” he pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sihle Mavuso at IOL. Read too, Maluti-a-Phofung can’t pay staff on time, at TimesLive
Former mayor, municipal manager of Elias Motsoaledi Municipality arrested over VBS scandal, each granted R30,000 bail IOL reports that the former mayor and the former municipal manager of the Elias Motsoaledi Municipality have been arrested in connection with charges related to the VBS Mutual Bank saga. Julia Mathebe, who is now the current Sekhukhune district mayor, and the former municipal manager Minah Mared were arrested on criminal charges related to the VBS Mutual bank case. According to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, the arrests were a result of an ongoing investigation into the VBS Mutual Bank investments that were conducted by municipalities in contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act. “The municipal manager is said to have been instrumental in investing R190 million of municipal funds into the VBS Mutual Bank, wherein the mayor received over R300,000 in gratification, which included cash, accommodation and flight tickets. These were channelled through a company belonging to her children,” said Mogale. The case was postponed to 2 March 2023 after the accused were each granted bail of R30 000. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sisipho Bhuta at IOL Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Oudtshoorn deputy mayor resigns amid sexual assault charges News24 reports that the deputy mayor of the Oudtshoorn Municipality, Mlandeli Nyuka, has resigned from his post amid charges of sexual assault. Nyuka was arrested last month after a colleague opened a case against him, accusing him of sexually assaulting her in his office. He was also accused of offering the employee a better job in return for her silence. Nyuka was denied bail earlier this month. His resignation was confirmed by Mayor Chris Macpherson on the municipality's Facebook page. "The resignation letter from Nyuka has been received by the council on Thursday morning during a council meeting. Nyuka has protected the integrity of the council," he indicated. Councillor Vlancio Donson was elected unopposed as deputy mayor. The resignation came after the GOOD party tabled a motion of no confidence in Nyuka on Thursday. Earlier this month, it was reported that Nyuka was still getting his salary while awaiting trial, despite being charged with sexual assault and rape. It has also emerged that Nyuka was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in 2013. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24 Mpumalanga teacher fired for being in sexual relationship with Grade 12 pupil News24 reports that the Education Labour Relations Council has dismissed a Mpumalanga teacher for being in a sexual relationship with a Grade 12 pupil. Ncamiso Nhlanhla Nxumalo was charged with misconduct after he had an "unwanted relationship" with a pupil he was teaching. Nxumalo from Marhagi Senior Secondary School pleaded not guilty to the charges. He argued he had a teacher-pupil relationship with the teenager and not a sexual one. In her testimony, the pupil’s mother advised that her daughter refused to testify before the council because she was still in love with Nxumalo. In his ruling handed down on 12 November 2022, arbitrator V Madula said he deduced there could have been a sexual or love relationship between the employee and the pupil based on the testimony presented before him. "The employee's evidence was an afterthought. The interest of the learner should prevail. Sexual or love relationship between an educator and a learner is not acceptable in a school environment. Educators play a role of a parent at school. They must ensure that learners are educated," he indicated. Nxumalo was found guilty of misconduct and fired with immediate effect. He was also found to be unsuitable to work with children in terms of the 2005 Children's Act. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24
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