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 Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Gauteng premier hands 6,000 appointment letters to solar trainees BL Premium reports that Department of Employment & Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has called for broader co-operation between provincial and national government departments to arrest the unemployment scourge in the country. SA has a high unemployment rate and the youth unemployment rate is much worse. Gauteng has about 582,000 discouraged job seekers, while unemployment stands at 2.6-million. This has spurred Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi to implement a number of initiatives including training and employing crime wardens colloquially called “AmaPanyaza”. On 16 June, Lesufi launched the Nasi Ispani initiative to address high joblessness in the province. On Thursday at an event held at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, he handed 6,000 appointment letters to the first cohort of the solar technician trainees. The programme, which forms part of the Nasi Ispani campaign, is in partnership with the manufacturing, engineering and related services sector education and training authority. Opposition parties, however, have criticised the Nasi Ispani campaign, saying it was an electioneering gimmick by Lesufi ahead of the 2024 provincial and national elections. “Please ignore naysayers, the opposition will attack you no matter what you do. Keep your focus on young people. You’ve made a valiant start with the Nasi Ispani programme. Keep up the good work,” Nxesi told Lesufi. Lesufi previously reported that 8,000 of the funded posts in the province had attracted more than 1.2-million applications, highlighting the unemployment plight and how desperate people were for work. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Panyaza Lesufi's govt offers jobs, business opportunities to Gauteng's youth, at News24 Nxesi disregards EFF and Action SA's criticism of the Nasi Ispani programme EWN reports that Department of Employment & Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has denounced criticism levelled against the Gauteng government’s mass recruitment project. The Nasi Ispani programme, which was launched on Youth Day, has come under a lot of scrutiny since its launch. On Thursday, more than 40,000 young people employed by the government collected their appointment letters at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto. But, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have accused Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi of using the Nasi Ispani campaign to raise the ANC’s banner high ahead of the 2024 general elections. Similarly, Action SA said the mass recruitment project was merely a gimmick that preyed on people’s desperation in exchange for votes. But according to Nxesi, all that mattered was that Gauteng’s high unemployment rate was finally being addressed. Lesufi said the Gauteng government would continue to advertise posts every month until July 2024. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Alpha Ramushwana at EWN
'Massive smoke plume' over Kempton Park after chemical storage facility burst into flames on Wednesday night News24 reports that a chemical storage facility in Spartan, Kempton Park, burst into flames on Wednesday night, leaving some parts of Ekurhuleni covered in massive clouds of smoke. It is believed that hazardous materials were on site. City of Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson Maswati Mdluli said the fire broke out at a property on Vuurslag Avenue at around 23:40. "The fire started at an Oricol Environmental Services chemical storage and sent massive smoke plumes over the Spartan area in Kempton Park," he indicated. Residents reportedly heard a series of explosions, believed to have been coming from the site. The blaze was already at an advanced stage when firefighters arrived on the scene. Additional resources and a hazardous materials team were deployed to assist firefighting efforts. The fire was successfully put out, and Mdluli said no one was injured. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24. Read too, Still no word on safety of air around Joburg chemical factory after late-night blaze, at News24 Mpumalanga councillor arrested over kidnap, assault of pregnant domestic worker accused of stealing laptop TimesLIVE reports that a Mpumalanga town councillor has been arrested for alleged involvement in the violent interrogation and forced lock-up of a domestic worker accused of stealing his laptop. The 29-year-old domestic worker, who is pregnant, was allegedly held against her will from Saturday until she was rescued by community members in the early hours of Tuesday morning, police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala reported. “She was allegedly kidnapped and severely assaulted with objects, including a garden spade, before they locked her in a room,” he indicated. Mhluzi police arrested the councillor and three alleged accomplices on charges of kidnap and assault. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
State to oppose bail for five men charged with torching trucks in three provinces News24 reports that the State intends to oppose bail for five men linked to the torching of trucks in three provinces. They appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate's Court on Thursday. The suspects are members of the African Truck Drivers Forum and have been charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, malicious damage to property, conspiracy to commit the crime of malicious damage to property and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Monica Nyuswa, said: "The accused appeared for verification of addresses and bail application. The State was ready to proceed, but the defence requested the postponement in preparation for bail application. All parties agreed and postponed the case to 10 August for a bail application. Due to the seriousness of the offences the accused are charged with, the State will oppose bail. The State alleges the accused damaged trucks used for transporting goods on the N2 due to certain grievances in the transport industry." The accused will remain in custody pending the outcome of their application. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24
Chaos in Tshwane: Samwu strike escalates into violence and arrests The Citizen reports that while City of Tshwane council members met at Tshwane House to argue about the city’s dire finances, a group of SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members returned to the streets on day two of their illegal strike to demand salary increases. On Wednesday, thousands of Samwu members marched to Tshwane House to hand over a memorandum to the mayor, but instead ended up fighting each other while the booze flowed and empty beer bottles were thrown at police. The mayor, Cilliers Brink, said the illegal strike action would not be tolerated and that striking employees would face disciplinary action. “The city will not be coerced through violence and lawlessness to agree to salary increases. The city is in a precarious financial position and difficult decisions must be taken to rescue it from financial ruin. We will put this case in detail to the SA Local Government Bargaining Council,” Brink indicated. He said the no-work, no-pay principle would be applied. “Thus far, 15 employees were arrested at the Samwu-led protest which escalated into violence yesterday. The city will study video footage to identify employees who engaged in violence, criminality and intimidation of working employees. Four employees who participated in illegal strike action and damaged public property in Centurion on Tuesday appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court and were also served with a notice of intention to suspend their services,” Brink advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marizka Coetzer at The Citizen (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Tshwane gryp in teen werkers wat onwettig staak, by Maroela Media Four striking Tshwane employees in court for public violence Pretoria Rekord reports that four Tshwane employees were scheduled to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of public violence. Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the employees, stationed at the city’s Region 4 offices in Centurion, were arrested on Tuesday during a strike by Samwu members and have been in detention at the Lyttleton police station. The employees have also been served with a notice of intention to suspend and are facing three internal charges pertaining to gross misconduct, malicious damage to property and breach of the employment contract. The charges were served on the employees while in police custody. Bokaba said the internal charges were serious in nature in that the employees’ conduct represented a serious breach of their obligations and duties and had resulted in an irretrievable breakdown of the employment relationship. If the employees are found guilty of the charges, they may be dismissed from employment with immediate effect. Bokaba noted that previously errant employees engaged in various acts of misconduct, including the commission of serious crime, without any consequences. He said the action taken against these four employees should serve as a deterrent to others “that the days of brazen lawlessness, and impunity are over”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zukhanye Qabe at Pretoria Rekord. Lees ook, Tshwane-werkers vas vir geweld tydens staking, by Maroela Media
Defence seeks bail for VIP cops, saying they’re no longer in ‘position of power’ News24 reports that in a bid to persuade the Randburg Magistrate's Court to release eight Presidential Protection Services officers on bail, their lawyers argued that the men were no longer in a "position of power" and could not intimidate State witnesses. "Their position has been weakened despite being highly trained specialised officers. They are no longer in that powerful position as before. I submit they are in a powerless position; they are no longer those powerful VIP protection officers," lawyer Fanie Kabini told the court on Thursday. He pointed out that as part of their suspension, his clients had to hand in their firearms and appointment cards. In addition, they were instructed not to interfere with the investigation. Kabini submitted that it was in the interests of justice to release his clients on bail with strict conditions. "They still need to be employed and still need to oppose the charges against them at their disciplinary hearings. The charges against the accused are very weak," he stated. This after the State argued that the release of the suspects on bail could pose a threat to State witnesses. They were caught on video assaulting four occupants of a vehicle on the N1 highway and face 12 charges, including pointing a firearm, reckless and negligent driving, malicious damage to property, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, obstruction of justice, and assault by way of threat. In closing arguments in the bail application on Thursday, State advocate Elize Le Roux argued that the eight men were part of a specialised unit and that they had access to resources, despite their suspensions. Magistrate Hlengiwe Mkhabisi will deliver judgment on Tuesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24. Lees ook, Blouligbrigade: Staat sê hy het sterk saak, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Amplats names finance director Craig Miller as new CEO from 1 October Fin24 reports that Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) finance director Craig Miller has been appointed CEO of the producer, replacing Natascha Viljoen. Miller will take over the helm of the world's largest platinum producer on 1 October. Viljoen, who has served as Amplats CEO since April 2020, resigned earlier in the year to join US miner Newmont as its chief operating officer. She is currently serving a lengthy notice period. Miller has been finance director since 2019. He began his career as a trainee accountant at Deloitte in Johannesburg and joined Anglo American in London as a finance manager in May 2000. He eventually worked as group financial controller, was chief financial officer of the iron ore business in Brazil and the coal business in SA, and was head of the group CEO’s office. Miller said he was looking forward to building on Amplat's strategic plans. Meanwhile on Tuesday, Amplats reported a whopping 71% dive in earnings in the first half of the year. Viljoen commented that the factors driving the commodity cycle currently were somewhat unusual. These ranged from the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant economic and supply chain impacts, the Russian war on Ukraine and its impact on energy markets, and the global energy transition. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Ahmed Areff at Fin24
Saftu’s Vavi slams e-hailing companies for ‘abusing’ drivers The Star reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has lambasted e-hailing companies for abusing their drivers. E-hailing drivers recently protested in various regions over complaints about their commission structure, crime and other labour-related issues. The drivers held a media briefing on Wednesday with the leadership of Saftu, where their issues were ventilated. Saftu’s Zwelinzima Vavi said working conditions for e-hailing drivers were bad and they did not have proper channels where they could relay their complaints. He indicated: “The e-hailing drivers must organise under a trade union to fight for their rights and advance their economic interests. We acknowledge platforms like the e-hailing Partners Council (EPCO), but this platform remains and acts as a platform to hear the grievances of workers. It can never displace or replace the need for a trade union.” Vavi criticised e-hailing companies for refusing to recognise drivers as their employees and pointed out that globally there was a trend to bring in legislation that recognised the e-hailing companies as the employers of the drivers. Vavi also pointed out that e-hailing drivers faced the challenge of being accepted into the SA public transport system amid tension between taxis and metered taxis. “Consequently, e-hailing drivers have been killed, beaten, injured and kidnapped in the conflict. Some areas have been declared no-go areas, where e-hailing drivers are barred from using violence. If they are spotted in such areas, they are often robbed of their cash. This conflict has also affected passengers,” Vavi said. He added that the commission rates that the e-hailing companies offered were unfair. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Itumeleng Mafisa at The Star
Constable and boyfriend accomplice arrested for submitting fake sick note The Citizen reports that a female constable from Selosesha Public Order Policing and her civilian boyfriend were arrested for fraud in Thaba Nchu in the Free State after submission of a fake sick note to the officer’s employer. The incident took place on the 17 March 2023 when the constable submitted a supposed doctor’s note claiming to be ill. The note, allegedly from a private practice where her boyfriend works as an agent for circumcision, was intended to excuse her absence from work. However, suspicions were raised and an anti-corruption investigation was launched to look into the authenticity of the sick note. Police spokesperson, Sgt Mahlomola Kareli, advised that the investigation revealed the note was, in fact, a false document. Allegedly, the boyfriend had played a significant role in its creation. “The 31-year-old constable and her 47-year-old boyfriend were subsequently apprehended on 27 July 2023 and brought before the Selosesha magistrate court to face charges of forgery and uttering. It was revealed during the court proceedings that the boyfriend had allegedly forged the doctor’s signature on the false sick note,” Kareli indicated. Both accused were granted bail of R1,000 each, and the case was adjourned until 14 August 2023 to allow further time for investigation and evidence gathering. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Devina Haripersad at The Citizen
Free State pastor and three Post Office workers probed in connection with missing R8m Sassa funds News24 reports that a Free State pastor and three Tseseng Post Office employees, who are congregants at his church, are under investigation in connection with allegations that they were involved in the transfer of SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) funds to the extent of R8 million to a church's bank account. This apparently happened between January 2020 and February 2022. The suspects have not been arrested but, according to Free State Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli, four vehicles belonging to two of them and money in bank accounts belonging to them have been the subject of forfeiture proceedings in court. The vehicles and funds were declared forfeited on the basis that they formed the proceeds of crime. The forfeiture order was issued on 20 July. Read the full original of the short report in the above regard by Botho Molosankwe at News24
Two Eastern Cape cops arrested for alleged sexual assault of man News24 reports that two police officers were on Thursday arrested in Kariega, Nelson Mandela Bay, on charges of sexually assault. The officers allegedly picked up the male victim, who was on his way home from a friend's house, on 10 July. The man was then allegedly sodomised with a sharp object, assaulted and pepper sprayed. Spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Robbie Raburabu, indicated: "Thereafter, they dropped the victim off at a secluded place in the middle of nowhere and he had to find his way home." He said the one officer was arrested at Mount Road police station in Gqeberha and the other officer was arrested at Cuyler Hospital in Kariega where he had been visiting someone. The 41-year-old constable and 42-year-old sergeant are both members of the Kamesh Visible Policing Unit. They are expected to appear in the Kariega Magistrate's Court on Friday. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24
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