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 roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 5 May 2023.
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Three months later, Cyril Ramaphosa still to decide on electricity minister's powers Business Times reports that the full extent of the new electricity minister's powers and functions have yet to be finalised, three months after the position was first announced. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told reporters in parliament on Wednesday that President Cyril Ramaphosa would be meeting with other ministers who have some level of responsibility for Eskom to discuss and clarify the functions and powers of electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa's office in relation to the power utility. Ministers who oversee aspects of Eskom – public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan, finance minister Enoch Godongwana, mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe and Ramokgopa – commented extensively on the energy crisis during a set of oral replies in parliament on Wednesday and Thursday, but each pointed out that their say on the matter had limits. By April, Ramokgopa had unveiled his plan to stave off severe winter load-shedding and bring it to an end in the distant future. According to reports, his proposals included extending the life of coal power plants and buying more diesel for open-cycle gas turbines. The time allotted for oral replies expired before Ramokgopa could reply to questions from MPs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only) Ramaphosa deploys 880 SANDF members to protect Eskom power stations Cape Times reports that the more than R146 million deployment of 880 SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members to combat threats to and safeguard a number of Eskom power stations has been met with mixed reactions. Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of the soldiers. They will be expected to assist the police in protecting Eskom’s power stations, where sabotage, theft and other crimes may threaten their functioning and the supply of electricity in the country. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, advised that the president had informed Parliament of the move. The deployment, from 17 April to 17 October this year, would cost more than R146 million, he said. Previously from 17 March to 17 April this year, 2,700 members of the army had been deployed to assist the police in protecting Eskom power stations under Operation Prosper. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena welcomed the deployment and indicated that “the presence and visibility of additional reinforcements will assist law enforcement agencies and Eskom security in safeguarding and preserving the national assets.” Energy expert Lungile Mashele said the president’s announcement raised a number of questions, such as whether the request had been made by the new Eskom board, and what the successes of the previous soldiers had been that had led to this additional deployment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Okuhle Hlati at Cape Times. Lees ook, 880 soldate ontplooi om kragstasies te bewaak, by Maroela Media State-owned insurer Sasria rules out unrest claims if power grid collapses BL Premium reports that state-owned insurer the SA Special Risk Insurance Association (Sasria) has joined private insurers in preparing for a potential total collapse of the national electricity grid by informing its clients that should that occur, policyholders would not be able to claim for damages. In the event of a grid collapse, which could trigger civil unrest similar to that experienced in July 2021, Sasria has informed its clients that the “reinsurance market has been urging [it] to eliminate [its] coverage for claims stemming from electricity grid failure as a result of the unprecedented levels of load-shedding”. The move to inform its clients of its new policy coverage comes less than a month before the start of winter. Eskom has yet to release its official system outlook for the winter months, when energy demand is expected to increase. On Friday, electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa conceded that the next 150 days will be “very difficult” as SA enters the peak winter period. Sasria, which provides cover for strikes, riots and other forms of civil unrest, says that from 1 June all its existing and new policies will exclude cover for electricity grid failure. The exclusion will also apply to “consequential or indirect losses” in respect of any supply by public utilities that is affected in any way by electricity grid failure. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Pick n Pay chairperson warns of unrest, food shortages, at Business Times (subscriber access only)
Race for appointment of new Eskom CEO is on City Press reports that Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana said last Monday that the search for André De Ruyter’s successor as CEO was at an advanced stage and there was already a shortlist of five candidates. Dan Marokane, an Eskom manager who was suspended in 2015 – according to the Zondo commission to make room for people who were prepared to collaborate with the Guptas to hijack Eskom – is apparently one of the leading candidates. Marokane, who has been acting as CEO of sugar producer Tongaat Hulett since February, initially fought to regain his position as head of group capital at Eskom, but later felt that the trust between him and the board, led by Zola Tsotsi, had been broken. He accepted a R6 million settlement and left. Marokane is a chemical engineer with master’s degrees in petroleum engineering and business administration. In his last months with the utility, he was responsible for getting the first unit at Medupi connected to the grid and Eskom praised him for it. A second candidate whose name has been mentioned is Vally Padayachee, strategic adviser to the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities. Padayachee is an electrical engineer who previously worked in Eskom’s generation department and was then head of Johannesburg’s City Power. He also played a leading role in setting up the rules for load shedding and is currently doing the same with their revision. The identified candidates have declined to comment, and it is not known who the others on the shortlist are. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Antoinette Slabbert at City Press (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Three eThekwini municipal workers rushed to hospital after wall collapsed on them News24 reports that three eThekwini Municipality workers had to be rushed to hospital after a wall they had been working on collapsed on them in Glenwood on Sunday. The municipal workers were working at a site on Hunt Road in Durban when the wall collapsed on them just before midday. Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics said they were called to the scene following reports of possible electrocution. "When we arrived, we found that while municipal workers were working on a line, the wall they were working on collapsed ... on top of them," ALS paramedics spokesperson Garrieth Jamieson reported. He added that the workers were quickly pulled free by some of their co-workers, who called emergency services. They were stabilised at the scene and were taken to a nearby hospital. Jamieson indicated that the workers sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Saftu president Ruth Ntlokotse expelled from Numsa as a member Fin24 reports that on Thursday, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA’s (Numsa’s) National Executive Committee accepted the recommendation of a disciplinary hearing to expel Ruth Ntlokotse as a member. Ntlokotse is president of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu). Ntlokotse was facing various charges of misconduct. An independent chairperson, labour law specialist Charlie Higgs, recommended expulsion on the basis that relationships could not be restored. Ntlokotse herself was absent from the hearing, having requested a postponement which was not granted. Ntlokotse has been in Numsa's crosshairs for some time, having initiated a court challenge to have the union's national elective conference interdicted in 2022. She also mounted an unsuccessful court attempt to have the conference and its outcomes declared null and void. She and several other members were prevented from attending the conference due to suspension. In a scathing response on Saturday, Ntlokotse vowed that the "struggle to win back the union from this bankrupt leadership" would continue, regardless of her expulsion. Ntlokotse called her expulsion "contemptible" and warned that expulsions in Numsa would "continue in the coming period so as to silence all those who are demanding internal democracy, worker control, accountability by the Numsa Investment Company and respect for the Numsa Constitution". In the wake of the expulsion, Saftu said it was still discussing the matter internally, with spokesperson Trevor Shaku declining to comment on Saturday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marelise van der Merwe at Fin24
Labour Department threatens to haul Standard Bank, FNB and Absa to court for employment equity non-compliance Business Times reports that the Department of Employment & Labour (DEL) has threatened to haul three of SA’s top four banks to court for non-compliance with employment equity laws. Standard Bank, FNB and Absa are in the crosshairs for failure to ensure that their employees, especially at senior management level, mirror the country’s demographics. Assessment of non-compliance were reached after the department conducted a desktop study in the first quarter of this year to determine whether publicly-listed companies were complying with employment equity plans tabled in 2018. It found that almost 99% of private sector employers were noncompliant. Fikiswa Mncanca-Bede, chief director for statutory and advocacy services, advised that the DEL would be going to court to ask that either a fine of R1.5m or 2% of turnover – whichever is greater – be imposed on the banks. She said JSE-listed companies generally did not have an appetite to transform. “It is bad. It is still a man’s world. I do not think they see a need to transform. Either they do not have confidence in women, or they do not have confidence in black people, because when you check the disparities, you find that even if it is males at the top management, it is still white males, especially in the private sector,” Mncanca-Bede commented. To avoid imposition of a fine, the department is in negotiations with the errant banks for them to offer more learnerships as a way of closing the skills gap. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only)
Safa in crisis mode after resignation of CEO Teboho Motlanthe Sunday Times reports that the SA Football Association (Safa) was due to hold an emergency national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Sunday to discuss the sudden resignation of its CEO Teboho Motlanthe. Motlanthe tendered his letter of resignation to Safa president Danny Jordaan on Friday, citing, among other things, that his position was being reduced to that of a clerk. Since his resignation there have been frantic attempts by Jordaan and his associates to convince Motlanthe to remain in the embattled association. According to Safa sources, Motlanthe’s resignation letter was not long. “It is very short and straight to the point. He said he was resigning with immediate effect following the discussions that he had with the president, which he didn’t formally include in that letter.” This was not the first time Motlanthe has resigned, since he did the same in December. “But he rescinded it after they pleaded with him to stay. At that time, he was angry that the president wanted to reduce Safa staff, which also forms part of the reasons he’s resigned now,” a Safa insider indicated. According to sources, among the reasons Motlanthe resigned were that he was angry that cameras were installed in his office without his consent or knowledge, and he was then asked to sign a huge instalment bill against his will; he felt that he had been reduced to a mere clerk, whereas Jordaan made all the decisions; and he was uncomfortable that Jordaan was again planning to retrench people from what was already a skeleton staff. Safa currently has 59 full-time staff members, reduced from 200 three years ago. It has had three retrenchment processes in the past five years, but has a staggering 50 NEC members, which is one of the biggest in the world. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sazi Hadebe at Sunday Times (subscriber access only). Read too, Why Safa CEO quit, at City Press (subscriber access only) Acting CEO of SA Tourism resigns Business Report writes that Tourism South Africa acting CEO Themba Khumalo tendered his resignation by letter on Friday after four years with the organisation. According to a source, Khumalo resigned after accepting an offer to work overseas. His resignation came on the back of SA Tourism being thrust in the spotlight over an R1 billion sponsorship deal with English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, which was hotly criticised by the public. The potential deal embroiled former tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu in the saga, with media claims – later refuted – that she was actively involved in ensuring the contract was signed off before her anticipated removal from her portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle. Following the controversy, Khumalo addressed a report to the newly appointed tourism minister, Patricia De Lille. criticising the Tourism Board and requesting that she dissolve it due to strained relations between the board and management. De Lille appointed new members of the board and a new acting chairperson, Tim Harris, which led to a clash with parliament’s portfolio committee on tourism last week. The committee wanted De Lille to remove two of the three people she had appointed as the interim SA Tourism board, claiming their appointments were a reputational risk. During her first appearance in the committee, De Lille disagreed with members who wanted her to fire Harris, a former DA MP, and businessman Zwelibanzi Mntambo on the basis of a conflict of interest. De Lille refused and said she would not be bullied by the committee. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dieketseng Maleke at Business Report. ead too, SA Tourism acting CEO quits, at City Press (subscriber access only)
Solidarity rejects Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill at public hearing On Friday, Solidarity rejected the proposed Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill (BELA Bill) during a public hearing and expressed also its disgruntlement towards the government. The public participation hearing followed parliamentary presentations in November 2022 in which Solidarity also participated. The trade union argued that the proposed Bill in its current format would result in the centralisation of education in SA, implying disregard for the power of governing bodies in schools. Solidarity said language and admissions policies were influenced by this, which made Afrikaans schools a direct target. Johnell van Vollenhoven, policy analyst at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), commented: “This Amendment Bill seeks to take the power from parents and governing bodies. Through this they can freely implement their ideology as part of daily education in our schools and turn every Afrikaans school into an English school within just a few years.” According to Solidarity, the BELA Bill seeks to return to an outdated school model and the government wants to reduce the role of the community and especially governing bodies and let all power revolve upwards. “We simply cannot tolerate the hijacking of schools and will not hesitate to proceed with legal action if he (the minister) persists against all advice. The future of our children is in our hands and our schools remain community property,” Connie Mulder, Head of the SRI, stated. Read Solidarity’s press statement in the above regard at Solidarity News
Suspended military veterans DG opens criminal defamation case against deputy defence minister City Press reports that suspended director-general (DG) of the department of military veterans, Irene Mpolweni, has opened a case against Deputy Defence Minister Thabang Makwetla. Apparently, Mpolweni’s case relates to allegations that she received death threats following remarks Makwetla made in the media that she was responsible for delays in pension payouts to military veterans, and was also responsible for the disappearance of machines meant to fix potholes. The machines were later found. It was reported in April that the department had, at a cost of R40 million, purchased 90 rammers that would be distributed in each province for a project intended to enlist veterans to repair potholes. Mpolweni was suspended in March, but the department has not revealed what the charges against her were. Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo confirmed that a case against Makwetla had been opened and indicated: “A case of criminal defamation was opened at the Brooklyn Police Station (on 24 April) and transferred to the SA Police Service’s national head office’s anticorruption unit for further investigation.” Mpho Lekgoro, spokesperson for the department, said it wished to respect Mpolweni’s professional reputation by not commenting about the charges against her in public. She added that the details pertaining to the purchase of road maintenance equipment would be made known upon conclusion of investigations into this matter. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Msindisi Fengu at City Press (subscriber access only)
Putco operations resumed on Friday after subsidy debacle had put the brakes on service News24Wire reports that on Friday, Putco resumed its bus service after operations in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga had been suspended due to diesel shortages that were brought about by an outstanding Gauteng roads and transport department subsidy. Putco spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu said the bus operator met with Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Roads and Transport Logistics MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela on Thursday to "avert further service disruption". In a statement on Thursday night, Lesufi expressed "deep concern" about the impact of the service disruptions. He said he was pleased that they had reached an agreement and that the concerns raised would be addressed to ensure that residents have access to safe, reliable, and affordable transport. Lesufi added that the government was working on concluding a long-term agreement on bus contracts to ensure uninterrupted services. Putco managing director Franco Pisapia said: "We are happy to announce the resumption of services from Friday morning. We wish to apologise to our passengers for the inconvenience caused. Commuters who bought season tickets will be reimbursed via discounts/validity periods." Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Lees ook, Putco-busse loop weer, by Maroela Media
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