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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Cape Town’s violent taxi strike ends with city agreeing to release taxis wrongly impounded BL Premium reports that the violent protest action in Cape Town, which has seen key economic sectors and business in the city hugely affected and five people dead, has come to an end with the city agreeing to release taxis that were impounded. The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) released a statement on Thursday night confirming the protest had come to an end. At the heart of the week-long protest action, which saw hundreds of thousands unable to get to work, and schools and clinics closed, were the conditions around the impounding of vehicles under the City of Cape Town’s bylaws and national legislation. Mandla Hermanus, Western Cape Santaco spokesperson, indicated: “I’m pleased to announce that as part of the resolution is an agreement that the next 14 days will be utilised to work towards the release of vehicles that were wrongly impounded.” According to Santaco, taxis were impounded for seemingly minor infractions like broken lights or mirrors, while the taxi industry claimed that repeat offenders were paying far in excess of the R2,500 impound release fee and storage fees. According to MMC for safety & security, JP Smith, the city “impounded vehicles for breaching the National Land Transport Act, where drivers were unable to produce a valid operating licence, or are found to be operating contrary to the conditions of their operating licence”. However, Santaco claimed that vehicles had been impounded for reasons not provided for in the legislation and it specifically blamed Smith. Santaco had also alleged that the issuing of operating permits by the city were delayed and then taxis were impounded for not having a permit. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Taxi strike: Santaco calls off stayaway with immediate effect, at News24 Crucial 14 days ahead as bruising Cape Town taxi strike is called off News24 reports that on Thursday taxi bosses and the Western Cape government clinched a collective deal, bringing an end to the violent taxi strike in the province. But, the next 14 days will prove crucial in preventing another round of carnage. Sources reported that the resolution to look at the release of impounded taxis was the turning point. This was especially important for taxis bosses given the high cost of releasing an impounded vehicle and the loss of income of not operating. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, and senior government officials met with the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the province. After the meeting wrapped up, Santaco’s Mandla Hermanus announced that their stayaway had been called off as there was an agreement that “the next 14 days will be utilised to work towards the release of the vehicles that were wrongly impounded." Winde indicated that a press briefing with Santaco would be held on Friday. "We must now repair our partnership with the taxi industry. This must be done through meaningful engagement with the interests and, more importantly, the safety and dignity of commuters front of mind," commented Winde. Revealing details of the deal, Hill-Lewis said that it was the same proposal that had been on the table when the strike was less than 24 hours old. While impoundments under the National Land Transportation Act (NLTA) will continue for vehicles which are not roadworthy, or driving without an operating licence, or on the incorrect route, or by drivers without a driving licence, a taxi task team will further define a list, within 14 days, of additional major offences in terms of which vehicles will continue to be impounded in future. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24 (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Another 55 striking Tshwane metro employees dismissed BL Premium reports that the City of Tshwane on Thursday axed an additional 55 employees, bringing the total number of workers fired over an illegal wage strike to 93. Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said in a statement that “more dismissal letters are in the process of being issued to the striking employees”. The metro fired 38 employees on Monday last week, saying the unlawful and illegal strike had affected service restoration turnaround times. The strike began with a march by SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members on 26 July to Tshwane House, demanding that the metro implement a 5.4% pay increase reached in the SA Local Government Bargaining Council in 2021. But, the metro has repeatedly claimed that because it did not have the necessary funds, it would apply to be exempted from implementing the wage deal. Bokaba indicated further: “The strike action has now entered the third week, despite the labour court having granted the city an interim interdict against the strike and declaring it to be unlawful and unprotected on July 28. The court interdict has directed the striking employees to stop intimidating their co-workers and not to damage the city’s property and any public or private property. The city has now identified the individuals behind the strike and is finalising its court application, which is likely to be filed tomorrow [Friday].” On Thursday, the metro opened an arson case against striking employees who had damaged waste bins and set them alight at the Waste Management Depot in Centurion. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Tshwane stuur nóg 55 afdankingsbriewe uit, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Bail application of alleged truck arsonists in Mpumalanga, KZN, and Limpopo postponed to September IOL reports that the case against five African Truck Drivers Forum members who are accused of torching trucks in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo has been postponed to September to allow them to consult their representatives in preparation for bail applications. The five appeared at the Ermelo Magistrate's Court on Thursday. They have been charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, malicious injury to property, conspiracy to commit a crime of malicious injury to property, and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Previously, the State had indicated that due to the seriousness of the offences the accused were charged with, it would oppose bail. “The State alleges that the accused conspired, and damaged trucks used for the transportation of goods on the N2 National road due to certain grievances in the transportation industry,” National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa noted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sibuliso Duba at IOL
NUM tells 'rogue' Mantashe to butt out after he decried suspension of union’s general secretary as 'madness' Fin24 reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has called on Gwede Mantashe to butt out of the union's internal affairs following public comments made by the minister of mineral resources and energy that the union's suspension of its general secretary (GS) was "madness". Speaking at a SA Communist Party rally on Sunday, Mantashe – himself a former GS of the NUM – stated that the recent suspension of the union's current GS, William Mabapa, was madness. "You don't suspend a general secretary. It is madness. Anyway, that is not my business," he opined. Mabapa was suspended by the NUM national executive committee (NEC) in late July over "internal matters" and pending an investigation. According to anonymous sources, the suspension came amid a bruising factional battle at NUM, apparently over substantial union funds. This has been denied by the union. In a statement issued on Thursday, the NUM registered its concern over the minister's "public outburst" and said its NEC "takes serious exception to his intrusive political mischief". The union added that to say the decision of the NEC was madness "is a serious assault on the integrity of those who were elected to lead [the] NUM." It followed this up with the following: "He (Mantashe) should stop his freelancing commentary on NUM affairs and channel his negative energies on the mayhem caused by illegal mining and its damage to the economy and working-class communities of our country. He should advance ANC Renewal. Here and now, the rogue must stop." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24 Gauteng top cop warns rogue officers about colluding with zama zamas News24 reports that Gauteng police have appealed to the public to identify officers who are working with illegal miners (zama zamas) and destabilising their operations. On Thursday, Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela raided parts of Florida and went to an open cast mine where Joburg Metro police officers had been in a shootout with illegal miners over the weekend. One person was wounded, and four assault rifles, dynamite, 30 phendukas and a generator were recovered underground. Mawela said illegal miners were relentless, so the police had to keep up the pressure. "They have a tendency of not giving up. You deal with them today, tomorrow they are back. They don't give up. This is a big syndicate that we are fighting with. They are fully resourced," he commented. But, Mawela added that he was satisfied the crackdown was deterring the zama zamas and, bit by bit, “we are making an impact.” He did not discount allegations some officers had colluded with illegal miners after the police combed bushes in Florida where illegal miners were operating mere hours before they arrived only to find no one. Mawela called on residents to report rogue officers. "Working with the broader society will assist in identifying officers colluding with illegal miners. Ultimately, we will deal with those officers," he warned. Earlier in the morning, the police arrested 45 illegal miners in the Jerusalema informal settlement, Florida. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscriber access only)
Cabinet gives the nod to Duncan Pieterse as new director-general of Treasury The Citizen reports that Cabinet has approved the appointment of Duncan Pieterse as the new director-general (DG) of the National Treasury. Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana welcomed the appointment, which will be in place for five years, saying: “I believe Duncan has more than enough experience, expertise, and chutzpah to make a success of this new challenge.” Top management and staff also welcomed the appointment of Pieterse. Acting DG Ismail Momoniat, who has been acting in the role since June 2022 when former director-general Dondo Mogajane left, said the “baton of leadership is now moving to a younger generation.” Pieterse has a Bachelor of Business Science, Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University, and a Doctor of Philosophy, amongst other qualifications. He is currently the Deputy Director-General of Asset and Liability Management and previously served as a Deputy Director-General of Economic Policy. He joined the department in 2013 and has worked in various positions over the last 10 years. Godogwana pointed out that the DG was central to shaping the fiscal policies, economic direction, and financial stability of the country. He commended Momoniat for his leadership “as a true and dedicated servant” of the department and the country. Momoniat will continue to serve the department for at least a year to ensure a smooth transition and oversee several key projects. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen. Lees ook, Duncan Pieterse nuwe DG by tesourie, by Maroela Media. As well as, Godongwana says new Director-General will be central in shaping fiscal policy, at IOL Government fills several critical vacancies TimesLIVE reports that the government has filled several vacant posts including directors-general and their deputies of key departments and boards. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni indicated on Thursday that the appointments were subject to verification of qualifications and relevant clearances being conducted, but they included Percy Sechemane as CEO of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority and Thathakahle Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani as director-general of the department of communications and digital technologies. Duncan Pieterse has been appointed director-general of the National Treasury, while Qinisile Precious Delwa is the new deputy director-general for enterprise development and entrepreneurship at the department of small business development. Mosa Keneilwe Makhele is the deputy director-general of sector policy and research at the department of small business development, while Xolisa Mabhongo has been appointed as the deputy director-general of global governance and continental agenda at the department of international relations and co-operation. Rosinah Nghaka Dumalisile is the new deputy director-general of affordable rental and social housing at the department of human settlements and Thabo Kekana is the deputy director-general of programmes and projects at the department of mineral resources and energy. The full list of appointment is contained in the TimesLIVE report. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at TimesLIVE
Spar to hold vote at special general meeting on what to pay nonexecutive directors BL Premium reports that Spar will hold a special general meeting on 5 September for shareholders to vote on directors’ pay after the February AGM vote on remuneration failed to pass, leaving directors earning nothing. It is highly unusual for pay votes on directors’ fees not to reach the required majority and for directors to work for free. The nonexecutive directors, who include former Shoprite nonexecutive director Shirley Zinn and SA-born Pedro da Silva, who has extensive foreign retail experience, have not been paid since 1 March. After receiving feedback from shareholders, the remuneration committee has now restructured the proposed fees. They include a retainer fee and meeting attendance fees. Spar explained that its new fees were “independently benchmarked against an industry-based peer group comprising direct and indirect competitors and other JSE-listed retail companies”. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Unisa pleads for Nzimande's ear over appointment of administrator TimesLIVE reports that in a new twist, Unisa’s council has requested the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, to allow the court to rule on an independent assessor’s report before he makes his final decision on appointing an administrator for the institution. Nzimande wrote to the council chair, James Maboa, last Friday informing him that he was satisfied that a report by independent assessor Prof Themba Mosia “reveals financial and other maladministration of a serious nature and serious undermining of the effective functioning of Unisa”. He told Maboa that the appointment of an administrator would be in the best interests of Unisa and gave Maboa seven days to make written representations to him concerning the action he contemplated taking. The council met on Thursday to discuss its response. In a letter that Maboa apparently then sent to Nzimande, he said they did not agree with the conclusions reached by Mosia. The council took a decision on 7 June to go to court to have Mosia’s report reviewed and set aside. It lodged an application in the North Gauteng High Court on 4 July, but the matter has yet to be heard. Maboa is said to have told Nzimande that they were confident that the court would rule in the council’s favour and that, as a result, they did not intend to further respond to the conclusions made by Mosia. According to sources, he told Nzimande that placing Unisa under administration would cause irreparable harm to its reputation and stature and that it would affect Unisa's ratings and rankings. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at TimesLIVE
Prasa pays R50m a year to keep 22 senior managers at home Fin24 reports that the struggling Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has been paying some of its senior managers and group executives tens of millions of rands a year to stay at home. At least 22 executives, representing more than half of the company's executive committee, have been suspended for years with full pay, costing the taxpayer at least R50 million annually. Some of them have been suspended for more than six years without any disciplinary process or misconduct charges being pursued. Two former acting chief executive officers who had acted in the place of previously suspended CEOs, the chief operating officer, the group chief financial officer, the chief information officer, the group's head of legal and compliance, as well as the person who held the position in her place, are among those who have been suspended on full pay. It is estimated that the state-owned agency is paying 10 executives at least R23 million a year to stay at home, with the highest-paid executive on a R3.6 million annual package. Another 12 general and senior managers, who get paid annual salaries of between R2.67 million and R1 million, remain suspended, at an annual cost of about R25 million. In addition, Prasa pays other people acting allowances to perform the jobs of the suspended executives, and also forks out millions more on legal fees. Each year Prasa collects billions of rand in subsidies from the National Treasury to fund its operations, so the taxpayer directly foots these bills. In the year ended March 2022, the Treasury subsidy amounted to R16.7 billion. Prasa earned R343 million from its core business of collecting fees for transporting train and bus passengers – while its total employee-related costs amounted to almost R5.88 billion. Read the full original of the extensive report in the above regard by Sikonathi Mantshantsha at Fin24 (subscriber access only)
SIU to freeze pension benefits of officials who left Tembisa hospital amid corruption probe News24 reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says it will freeze the pension benefits of Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital officials who left the hospital during its investigation into supply chain management corruption. The Gauteng health department announced this week that disciplinary action was being taken against officials following the SIU's forensic report on its investigation, which was made public in December 2022. Of the nine employees cited in the report, six were suspended from 10 July to enable disciplinary proceedings to get under way, and an investigator was appointed to deal further with the matter. However, the supply chain deputy director retired, while a chief physiotherapist resigned, and a sessional medical officer stopped working at the hospital. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago advised as follows: "Once the proclamation is signed and gazetted, and the SIU investigation findings point to undue benefit, the SIU will pursue officials who resign in the face of an investigation or disciplinary action by freezing their pension benefits and institute civil litigation to recover financial losses suffered by state institutions.” The department indicated this week that the disciplinary cases of the suspended chief financial officer and CEO were under way and were being handled from the premier's office. Two officials have since been charged. It has been nearly two years since the assassination of Gauteng health department whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who uncovered corruption at the hospital. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa at News24. Lees ook, Tugstappe teen verskeie ná skandaal by Tembisa-hospitaal, by Maroela Media
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