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 Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Off-duty Cape Town cop shot dead in Khayelitsha on Sunday in hail of bullets News24 reports that Western Cape Police are on the hunt for two men who gunned down a 37-year-old off-duty police sergeant from Bellville South on Sunday evening. The 37-year-old succumbed to gunshot wounds in Khayelitsha, Site B. "Preliminary information suggests that the member visited a friend with whom he was seated in his car when two unknown gunmen disembarked a Toyota Quantum that stopped alongside them," police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said on Monday. The suspects opened fire and hit both occupants several times. The policeman succumbed on the scene to multiple injuries, and his friend was rushed to hospital for medical treatment. Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen reacted: “We cannot have them get away with this or any other murder. Those who attack law enforcement, including SAPS officers, should face the additional charge of treason, as they are directly attacking the state. We need these perpetrators behind bars serving life sentences without ever being released.” The latest shooting came two weeks after two off-duty constables were shot dead in Gugulethu. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24. Read too, Off-duty police sergeant dies in hail of bullets in Khayelitsha, at TimesLIVE SA's ambassador to Japan 'trying to silence' domestic helper who was assaulted by his wife in Tokyo City Press reports that according to Tandiswa Tokwe, a former domestic helper of Smuts Ngonyama, SA’s ambassador to Japan, the ambassador’s wife tackled her with a broomstick and now the ambassador is trying to silence her. She is back in East London after things turned sour between her and the Ngonyamas in Japan. However, Tokwe’s future is bleak as she is now an unemployed single mother. Her problems in Tokyo began in July when Ngonyama’s wife Nokwazi assaulted her with a broomstick. Tokwe claims she was beaten three times on her thighs and arms. A struggle ensued in which she sprained her arm. Tokwe received medical treatment at a clinic in Tokyo. The Ngonyamas apologised to Tokwe after the department heard about the incident. Tokwe then signed a letter accepting the couple’s apology, but resigned on 27 July because Nokwazi had allegedly taken away her cellphone and she was afraid of her former employers. Lungisani Ntombela, an officer with the resources department, drafted a settlement agreement, which Ngonyama signed on 30 August but which Tokwe refused to sign. The agreement stipulated that Ngonyama would pay Tokwe’s salary until December this year – amounting to R195 000 – on condition that she disclosed nothing about any settlement or said anything further about the matter to any third party (including the media), and that she brought no further claims against the couple. These were conditions Tokwe could apparently not agree to as she was not prepared to surrender her basic rights. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Johan Eybers at City Press Other internet posting(s) in this news category
‘The money just isn’t there’ for salary increases, Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink insists TimesLIVE reports that the City of Tshwane refuses to budge on its stance of no salary increases despite the ongoing service delivery disruption by some members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu). Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink indicated: “You can mediate many things and conversations about many things but the one issue you cannot mediate is that we don’t have R600m to grant in salary increases. The money just isn’t there.” The provision of services in the municipality has been severely affected since July, after some employees went on strike to force the city to honour the last leg for 2023/2024 of a three-year wage agreement. “What keeps me up at night is our financial position. It’s not the strike. It is that we are running out of money at an alarming rate. Last year this municipality, as did many others, made a loss in excess of R2bn in the sale of electricity, those are the critical issues. Unless we attend to those issues, get back to work and solve those problems, then the communities are going to suffer,” Brink said. He added that the disruption and attacks around the city were no longer a labour issue: “I want to emphasise that at the height of the strike about 20 to 30% of the workforce participated in the strike. Far more disruptive have been the attacks on waste removal trucks, which means contractors immediately withdraw from an area, the attack on water and electricity teams, the attempted murder, and arson at landfill sites. So the violence and the criminality have been far more disruptive than any formal labour dispute.” Brink indicated that there were catch-up plans for waste collection and public cleaning. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange at TimesLIVE Permanent interdict granted against disruptive Tshwane municipal workers Pretoria News reports that the City of Tshwane has come off the back foot to win a battle against the strike action by its workers after the Labour Court on Friday granted it a permanent interdict against the unrest. The cash-strapped metro was relieved by the ruling because earlier in the week the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (Salgbc) dismissed its application to be exempted from implementing the final leg of a three-year wage deal reached in September 2021. Workers in the capital municipality have been on an extensive strike, which has entered its eighth week, demanding a 5.4% pay increase in terms of the 2021 agreement. Salgbc last week ordered the municipality to fork out millions to honour the pay increases. Services within the municipality have been severely affected with uncollected waste, closed down health clinics, unavailability of buses, water and electricity disruptions and all fuelled by violence. City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said he trusted that the strikers would comply with the permanent court order and return to work to improve service delivery. He added that the municipality’s management was not backing down from issuing dismissal letters to those who took part in the unprotected strike. He reported that to date 123 workers had been issued with the letters, with more to come. However the SA Municipal Workers’ Union has vowed to defend the fired workers and make sure they could return to work. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mashudu Sadike at Pretoria News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
For a decade, staff at defunct Tshwane power station have reported for work but had nothing to do TimesLIVE reports that more than 150 employees of the non-operational Rooiwal power station in Tshwane have been reporting to work daily for more than 10 years, earning wages but without work to do. This was indicated by workers during a visit by mayor Cilliers Brink on Monday. The Tshwane metro plans to offer 40-year leases for the Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations to independent operators who have ideas about how to repurpose them. The workers, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said they wanted to be deployed to other, functioning depots. “We are getting paid for sitting and sleeping. For 10 years you just come to eat and sleep. At 8am we drink tea, at 12pm we eat and at 4pm we go home. That is our daily job. We play morabaraba and cards,” said one of the frustrated employees. Another worker said he felt they had been reduced to serving as security guards at the station. The two stations cost the city R300m a year, which includes staff and maintenance. Brink said the two power stations had fallen into disuse partly because of the high cost of stockpiling coal for them, a lack of planning for the future and the need for significant capital investment. He said the city would prepare an energy indaba at which it would take requests for proposals about the stations and solicit requests for information on independent clean energy generation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange at SowetanLive. Read too, Staff at Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations say they fear for their jobs, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Minerals Council, NUM mourn M&R employees killed in bus crash en route to Venetia mine Mining Weekly reports that the Minerals Council SA (MCSA) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) are mourning the deaths of those killed in an accident between a bus and a truck, near diamond miner De Beers' Venetia mine, in Limpopo, on the afternoon of 17 September. Engineering and contractor group Murray & Roberts (M&R) earlier confirmed the deaths of 18 (later reports indicate 22) of its employees in the collision. The employees were being transported to the Venetia mine for the night shift when the accident occurred. Both vehicles subsequently caught alight. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The NUM, meanwhile, said it was devastated by the loss of life. “We are shattered and devastated about this incident. We are saying enough is enough about the loss of lives in the public roads. Government should do something to upgrade roads because this is the second incident in a short space of six months. We are losing workers due to road accidents," NUM North East regional secretary Philip Mankge said. The union also called on the Limpopo provincial government to assemble a team of investigators to probe the main causes of "such terrible" accidents in the province. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly . Read too, Musina bus, truck crash: 22 lives lost, at TimesLIVE Solidarity questions whether possible Kloof 4 layoffs are necessary Mining Weekly reports that trade union Solidarity has expressed concern about the fate of almost 3,000 Sibanye-Stillwater mineworkers whose jobs are in jeopardy as the mining company considers the future of its Kloof 4 shaft, in Carletonville. Sibanye last week announced that it would hold discussions with stakeholders to decide on the future of the gold mining operation, given the financial and operational challenges it was facing. Nearly 2,400 Sibanye employees and 581 contract workers stand to lose their jobs should the operation be shut. Solidarity deputy general secretary Riaan Visser pointed out that Sibanye’s excellent half-yearly results contradicted the necessity for large-scale layoffs. “A justifiable question to ask here is whether we are dealing with a gold giant that is gobbling up profits at the expense of employees,” Visser asked. Solidarity said it would actively participate in the consultation process with the aim of preventing layoffs, or at least limiting them. According to Visser, workers were already experiencing significant financial pressures that ultimately would affect the wider community. The Section 189 (retrenchment) process will be facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, and a date for the first round of the consultation process has yet to be confirmed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly. Lees ook, Duisende dalk by Sibanye-Stillwater afgelê, by Maroela Media. Read Solidarity’s press release on this matter at Politicsweb Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Economists predict another big fuel price hike in October The Citizen reports that last month saw a substantial increase in fuel costs, with petrol rising by about R1.71 per litre and diesel surging by R2.80 per litre. However, the storm is far from over as experts forecast even more pain at the pump in October. Frank Blackmore, lead economist at KPMG, expressed his concerns about the upcoming fuel price hikes: “Given recent values, an additional R1.20 increase in 95 octane, R1.15 increase in 93 octane, and diesel around R2 increase per litre for October are expected.” He emphasised the potential ripple effect on the economy, particularly in the transportation sector, which relied heavily on diesel. Any increases in fuel prices have a significant impact on the economy, and this will likely result in slower decreases in inflation,” Blackmore warned. Hayley Parry of 1Life’s ‘Truth About Money’ highlighted the challenges consumers face: “Following September’s steep petrol price increases, it’s not looking good for consumers in October. Strong international oil prices and a weak rand may lead to another 80c petrol price increase and R1.50 on diesel per litre.” Brina Biggs of 1Life Insurance emphasised the need for prudent financial planning and advised consumers to “tighten their belts, avoid taking on more debt, and prepare for the ongoing high cost of living”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Devina Haripersad at The Citizen. Lees ook, Nog pyn by brandstofpomp lê voor, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
We didn’t want a lame duck CEO, says Koos Bekker on Van Dijk sudden departure BL Premium reports that Naspers chair Koos Bekker has moved to allay fears that the sudden resignation of the group’s CEO, Bob van Dijk, points to a falling out between him and the board. He said the appointment of an interim CEO was meant to avoid Van Dijk becoming a lame duck boss once a decision to part ways had been arrived at. On Monday, Naspers and its international unit Prosus announced the exit of Van Dijk, who led the two companies, with immediate effect. Ervin Tu, the chief investment officer, took over on an interim basis. During an investor call, Bekker pointed out that the average tenure for a CEO of Van Dijk’s stature was about seven years, whereas the Dutchman was nearing a decade atop the Cape Town group. Also a former group CEO, Bekker said the move was “a mutual and amicable decision” and the board and Van Dijk agreed that it was time for a fresh perspective. Van Dijk “has been in charge for a full decade. In discussions between him and the board, we felt now is the good time for a handover. When you decide on a transition, it’s best to execute that immediately,” Bekker said. He added: “The moment you announce that there will be a transition and there will be a search [for a new CEO] that will take a few months, the incumbent simply loses all power. That is how companies work.” Van Dijk had been at the helm of the technology investment group for almost 10 years. He will stay on as an adviser to the group for 12 months. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mudiwa Gavaza at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). See too, Bob van Dijk out as Naspers and Prosus CEO by 'mutual' agreement, at Fin24. And also, SoftBank alumnus replaces Van Dijk as Naspers/Prosus CEO leaves “by mutual agreement”, at BizNews Spar loses information technology chief Mark Huxtable after SAP bungle Bloomberg reports that Spar's chief information technology executive Mark Huxtable has resigned from the South African food and liquor retailer, not long after a rocky implementation of a R1.8 billion software system. The move to the SAP software resulted in various integration and distribution issues that caused interruptions in stock deliveries to stores and lost sales. The SAP software project cost Spar about R786 million in lost first-half wholesale turnover. The retailer said on Friday that Huxtable’s departure was for personal reasons and he would leave the Durban-based company at the end of the month. It added that the problems with the SAP systems had been worked on and stores were again being serviced. Spar’s SA technology executive Brett McDougall will step in to support the team, chairman Mike Bosman indicated. SAP said it was unable to comment on behalf of its customers. The grocer has lost a number of executives this year, including its former CEO Brett Botten and ex chairman Graham O’Connor who resigned over governance issues. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loni Prinsloo at Fin24
Fort Hare qualifications probe puts Buffalo City mayor's position at risk City Press reports that Buffalo City Metro executive mayor Princess Faku will apparently not be among the hundreds of students at the University of Fort Hare (UFH) in Dikeni who will be graduating in early October. Her study programme, a law degree, is the subject of an inquiry by the university and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). In January, Faku received a letter from the university confirming that she had completed the qualification and was set to graduate. However, the letter was signed by an administrator in the law faculty, not the university registrar. She subsequently received another letter in early May, informing her that she would not be graduating. Her name was also absent from the list of 228 law students who graduated in May this year. This latest development puts her position as executive mayor in jeopardy, as the ANC is still awaiting her qualifications. Shortly before the 2021 local government election, the party set out a range of criteria to measure the competency of their municipal and metro candidates. It listed nine competency areas in which each candidate had to be judged. They are also required to have a tertiary-level qualification or the equivalent, as well as at least five years’ experience in local government. ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayithobi said the party would wait for the university to complete its investigations and take the matter from there. The UFH declined to answer questions relating specifically to Faku, but acknowledged that the SIU was probing allegations of the irregular admission of several public servants and others into university programmes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpumzi Zuzile & Norman Masungwini at City Press (subscriber access only)
National Tourism Careers Expo will offer limitless career opportunities The Star reports that Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela, has launched the 13th edition of the National Tourism Careers Expo (NTCE) 2023, which is scheduled to run from 29 September to 1 October at the Johannesburg Expo Centre (Nasrec). The event is expected to attract thousands of learners to bridge the information gap between the tourism industry and learners. In his address, Mahlalela said his department wanted to use the expo to drive the goal of the National Tourism Sector Strategy to create an additional 300,000 tourism job opportunities by 2026. Coinciding with Heritage and Tourism Month, the event was launched at the iconic Maropeng Visitor Centre, Cradle of Humankind, west of Joburg. The event, considered one of the country’s flagship career exhibitions, will follow the theme, "Tourism Investments for People, Planet, and Prosperity". Mahlalela said the theme was chosen to highlight how the government, sector stakeholders, and the private sector have invested in tourism to drive initiatives that create opportunities. He highlighted that tourism offered limitless career opportunities, which ranged from food and beverage to cruise ships, transport, adventure tourism, travel trade, events and conferences, tour operators, tourism entrepreneurs, and travel bloggers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Anita Nkonki at The Star
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