This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Five inmates stab four officials at Drakenstein Correctional Centre EWN reports that four Department of Correctional Services (DCS) officials were stabbed by inmates at the Drakenstein Correctional Centre on Wednesday. Officials said the attackers used self-made sharpened objects. Those injured were taken to hospital. The department’s Singabakho Nxumalo indicated: “We can confirm a disturbing incident at Drakenstein Correctional Centre Medium B, where five inmates stabbed four of our officials. This incident happened during unlock time just after 7 in the morning, and we were left with no choice but to deploy minimum force in an attempt to stop the attack.” He said a full investigation would be launched. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Lauren Isaacs at EWN Teacher assaulted while intervening in fight over shortage of desks at KZN school News24 reports that a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) teacher was allegedly assaulted when she tried to intervene in a physical fight that broke out between pupils on Friday, reportedly over a shortage of desks. The incident occurred at Skofill Secondary School in Bulwer, which is in the Harry Gwala district. During a meeting with school representatives on Friday, KZN Education MEC Mbali Frazer was informed that the school had failed to request more desks from the provincial education department. In addition, it had reportedly failed to inform the department of several crime- and vandalism-related maintenance matters. "No learner must feel discouraged to attend school because of the shortage of desks and chairs," Frazer noted. She directed that the required number of desks and chairs be delivered to the school before next Friday and undertook to prioritise renovations and deliver two mobile classrooms by the end of the month. The pupils involved in the fight are expected to face disciplinary action. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24 Schools must be ‘havens of safety' instead of 'centres of violence', says teachers' union Sadtu EWN reports that the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) is concerned about the increasing incidents of violence at schools across the country since the beginning of the 2023 academic year. The teachers' union said it had recorded cases of stabbings, shootings, and different forms of bullying. Sadtu's Nomusa Cembi lamented that institutions of learning had become centres of violence. "It is our business as human beings in all spheres of life to protect everyone in our society, and schools must be havens of safety," she noted while calling on the government to act speedily in ensuring schools became safe spaces for learners. In December, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said social ills experienced in communities were cascading into schools. He advised that the department had noted that violent communities often had cases of teenage gangsterism and bullying at their schools. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Alpha Ramushwana at EWN. Lees ook, Kommer oor toenemende geweld in skole, by Maroela Media
Unbundling Eskom is taking far too long, says CEO André de Ruyter BL Premium reports that according to Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, the state-owned power utility sent the government a list of potential board members for a national transmission company a year ago, but is still waiting for them to be appointed. Speaking at the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town on Tuesday, he praised the speed of some of SA’s electricity reforms, but said it was taking too long for the independent transmission company to receive the necessary licences, legal framework and board in order for it to start operating. He asserted that Eskom had done everything in its power to enable the legal separation of its transmission business. The unbundling of Eskom into three separate units – transmission, generation and distribution – was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019. A legally binding merger agreement, in which Eskom agreed to transfer its transmission division, was finalised in December 2021 and in the same month it applied to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) for licences for the transmission, trading, import and export of electricity. A transmission company would manage the bulk movement of electricity from a power plant to an electrical substation. The outgoing CEO explained that a separate transmission company was essential to ending load-shedding and driving power generation as it would allow independent producers to compete fairly with Eskom when selling power onto the grid. Inadequate electricity transmission grids are the main impediment to new power generation investments, which are sorely needed as Eskom’s ageing unreliable coal fleet cannot provide sufficient power. The lack of a grid capacity for Northern Cape solar projects and Eastern Cape and Western Cape wind energy projects means new renewable power projects cannot be developed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Outgoing Eskom CEO frustrated at protracted unbundling of utility, at EWN Grain silos hit by massive diesel generator costs, which will eventually impact food prices Fin24 reports that according to Wessel Lemmer of Agbiz Grain using diesel generators at grain storage facilities is seven times more expensive than electricity, which will impact food prices. Electricity is needed to load grain into storage silos and to unload these again later to be transported to processors like mills. It is also impossible to keep the grain dry and ventilated without electricity. Electricity costs usually make up around 10% of the total storage costs. Collectively, Agbiz Grain's members handle 70% of the grain and oilseeds produced in SA. "It is not possible to pass these additional [diesel] costs on to the producer or processor and only marginally to buyers, since storage operators conclude contractual terms with clients in advance. Therefore, the majority of these [unexpected] increased costs due to load shedding must be covered by the storage sector," Lemmer pointed out. Another significant factor is the loss of production due to load shedding as it leads to lower turnover and places profitability under pressure. And with not enough manufactured product to satisfy demand, prices increase, according to Tom Meintjes of GWK Trading. Other ways load shedding impacts grain storage include loss of stock, loss of communication systems, and slower turnaround times during intake and out loading. This causes increased demand for loading slots and leads to employees having to work overtime. In Lemmer’s view, the grain sector needs a flexible load shedding arrangement to assist in mitigating the impact. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24. Lees ook, Vaalharts-boere betoog teen beurtkrag, by Maroela Media Funeral parlours warn of consequences of continued load-shedding TimesLive reports that funeral parlours are battling to keep their mortuary fridges running amid continuous load-shedding and those that do have backup power say the costs are placing their business at risk. Daphney Mavayela of Mabona Funerals in Soweto said the company spent R1,000 a night on diesel for generators to keep bodies from decomposing. Many businesses were overwhelmed by the additional expenses as a result of the daily power cuts, Mavayela said, adding that the government should consider storing bodies in state morgues exempted from load-shedding. Mabona Funerals has solar panels for office administration, but those are insufficient to power their morgue and they have to rely on generators during load-shedding. Royal Empire Funerals owner Teboho Ditabe said he spent just under R30,000 a week to keep the lights on at three parlours. “The bodies are facing a much greater risk of decomposition because of the power situation. It is a terrible expense for us. It kills us as a business but we have a responsibility to ensure the bodies do not decompose,” said Ditabe. According to DA MP Jan de Villiers, the fuel levy should be scrapped to alleviate the burden on small and medium businesses. “Even large corporations are struggling to bear the additional costs of running their generators. One of these is Shoprite, which recently spent an additional R560m on diesel during stage 5 and 6 load-shedding over the past few months,” De Villiers pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
High unemployment, inflation and red tape are barriers to South Africans getting higher salaries in 2023 The Citizen writes that in the three years since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, businesses have struggled to stay afloat, which has meant employees have had to dampen their expectations of getting salary increases. The lockdown that was enforced led to many losing their jobs or having their salaries cut. Yet, there are some signs that South African businesses are starting to recover and salary increases might be more likely. But, Mark Bussin of the SA Reward Association (SARA) says South Africans shouldn’t be too hopeful. “Unfortunately, the current state of South Africa means the financial outlook for companies is generally bleak and this will have a direct impact on their ability to offer any kind of meaningful increases to employees,” Bussin argued. He pointed out that to restore investor confidence in South Africa the government needed to take steps to eliminate corruption, reduce red tape and help manage government’s debt. “Fixing the issues of overhauling the education system entirely, encouraging entrepreneurship, addressing the inequality gap and managing the government debt can win back the foreign investors’ trust so that the economy can grow and be stable again,” he noted. According to Bussin, SA needs “proper political, legal and socio-economic foundations” before employees can start seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Asanda Mbayimbayi at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
ConCourt declines to hear government’s appeal over use of B-BBEE criteria in tourism relief grants Fin24 reports that the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has declined to hear an application for leave to appeal a lower court's ruling that found the state was wrong to include Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) as a criterion to access Covid-19 relief grants in the tourism sector. In April 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic caused local and international tourism to grind to a halt, then-tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi set up a Tourism Relief Fund. The minister included the B-BBEE status level of applicants as one of the criteria for funding. Trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum then took the Department of Tourism to the North Gauteng High Court, arguing there was no need to use "race as a benchmark" for relief. While they lost their initial case, AfriForum and Solidarity won on appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in September 2021. The minister had argued she was bound to include the B-BBEE level of applicants as one of the criteria for relief under the B-BBEE Tourism Sector Code. But the SCA found that the minister was mistaken, as relief grants administered under the Disaster Management Act could not be viewed as grants "in support of B-BBEE". The department then applied for leave to appeal the SCA ruling before the ConCourt. On Wednesday, the apex court denied leave to the appeal. This means that the SCA's September 2021 ruling stands. In its ruling, the ConCourt noted that the issue was "moot" as SA's state of disaster had long been lifted and the funds already distributed. Solidarity’s Anton van der Bijl commented that the case set an important precedent as it would be harder for the state to include B-BEEE requirements as part of the criteria for relief funds in the future. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Cronje at Fin24. Read too, ‘No need to entertain appeal’, says ConCourt on Tourism fund’s BEE criteria case, at The Citizen. En ook, ‘Finale nekslag’ vir toerisme-rasfonds, by Maroela Media
SA Tourism in hunt to find Tottenham deal whistleblower, Sisulu wants interim CFO gone News24 reports that SA Tourism is to launch an investigation to find the person who blew the whistle on its proposed sponsorship deal with Tottenham Hotspur. Last Wednesday, Daily Maverick broke the news of SA Tourism's proposed three-year deal with Spurs, as the club from North London is known, which would reportedly be worth about R900 million. The deal would start at the beginning of the 2023-2024 season and conclude at the end of the 2026-2027 season. In exchange, SA Tourism would receive kit branding, interview backdrop branding, match-day advertising, partnership announcements, training camps in SA, and free access to tickets and stadium hospitality. On Wednesday, SA Tourism announced that its board would be investigating the leaking of the discussions about the controversial deal to the media. Meantime, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has called for the head of the board’s interim CFO for allegedly breaching ethics to pursue the controversial multimillion-rand deal with Spurs. On Wednesday, Sisulu's office labelled the recent resignation of three SA Tourism board members as a "ruse", saying that it distracted from what she saw as the key issue, namely the conduct of CFO, Johan van der Walt, "who allegedly brought ethical defects to the deal”. Van der Walt allegedly has ties to the WWP Group, which is said to stand to be paid around R31 million as part of the deal. Sisulu's office said: "The board made it very clear that the CFO had failed to declare his interests in three board meetings, concealing his special relationship with one of the companies involved in the deal." Sisulu ordered a fully-fledged forensic investigation into "this serious conflict of interest". SA Tourism will also probe the allegations around Van der Walt. Meantime, the Portfolio Committee on Tourism wants the deal to be stopped immediately. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24 (subscriber access only). Lees ook, SA Toerisme wil Tottenham-‘oopvlekker’ ondersoek, by Maroela Media
Former Eastern Cape health department messenger jailed for R23m PPE tender fraud TimesLive reports that a former Eastern Cape health department messenger who forged a letter to procure R23.7m worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 state of disaster has been sentenced to a decade in prison for fraud. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali indicated that Ayanda Matinise took advantage of his proximity to the office of then Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba as well as disaster regulations that permitted deviation from ordinary procurement procedures. Matinise wrote, signed and sent a forged letter to Falaz Protection Services in September 2020 under the pretense that the provincial health department was committed to procuring PPE, including surgical masks. The company submitted a declaration of interest and a quotation of R23.7m to Matinise. The PPE was then delivered to the department's OR Tambo district stores in Mthatha. Once the company realised officials responsible for payment had no knowledge of the forged letter, they opted to collect the consignment, but large quantities of it were missing. Investigations conducted by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Hawks led to the arrest of Matinise. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at SowetanLive Two Limpopo police officers arrested for ‘selling docket’ for R15,000 SowetanLive reports that two police officers from Sekgosese, Limpopo, have been arrested for allegedly attempting to solicit money in exchange for cancelling a case docket. The warrant officer and sergeant were apprehended on Tuesday at their workplace. “Members of the provincial anti-corruption unit launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from the victim alleging he received a call from one of the police members demanding a gratification amounting to R15,000 to cancel a case docket. After paying R10,000, the members reportedly insisted on getting the balance,” police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo reported. The suspects were arrested soon after receiving the balance. They were scheduled to appear in the Morebeng Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Kgaugelo Masweneng at SowetanLive. Read too, Police officers arrested for allegedly insisting on R15,000 payment for case docket, at IOL Mpumalanga police officer and three others arrested when caught red-handed loading stolen railway tracks into truck IOL reports that a 32-year-old police constable and three other suspects aged between 38 and 43 were arrested in Mpumalanga after they were allegedly caught red-handed by security personnel loading railway tracks into a heavy truck. The four were scheduled to make their first appearance in the Graskop Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, indicated: “Police in Mpumalanga have refused to be associated with criminal activities and as a result a police constable stationed at Sabie SAPS and three other suspects were arrested for damage to essential infrastructure at Mac-Mac plantation in Graskop on Tuesday at about 5pm.” The truck is believed to be owned by a Cape Town-based trucking company. The value of the damaged infrastructure and the truck used in the commission of crime will be determined as the investigation unfolds. Meanwhile, the provincial police commissioner in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, said she was “disappointed” by the alleged involvement of the police officer in the criminal activity. “The member involved will not be given special treatment, but has to face the consequences of his criminal acts. Internal investigation will also be instituted against him,” she indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jonisayi Maromo at IOL
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