In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Four SANDF members killed in service vehicle incident on Wednesday News24 reports that four SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members died on Wednesday after an incident involving two service vehicles. The members were travelling in a SA Military (SAMIL) 50 vehicle, which was towing an unserviceable version of the same model. The towed vehicle then burst its right front tyre and both cars rolled. Four members were declared dead at the scene and eleven others received treatment at the Dr Harry Surtie Hospital. Two had severe injuries, while nine had minor injuries. The incident happened 90km from Upington in the Northern Cape. The members were travelling to the SA Army Combat Training Centre. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Cebelihle Bhengu at News24. Lees ook, Vier lede van 8 SAI sterf in ongeluk naby Postmasburg, by Maroela Media SANDF releases names of three officers who died in Kommetjie submarine disaster News24 reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has released the identities of the three naval officers who died on Wednesday when a wave battered a submarine in Kommetjie. In a statement, the SANDF identified the officers as Lieutenant Commander Gillian Elizabeth Hector (executive officer), Master Warrant Officer William Masela Mathipa (coxswain) and Warrant Officer Class One Mmokwapa Lucas Mojela (coxswain in training). They were aboard the SAS Manthatisi. Hector was the first female officer in Africa to navigate a submarine. The three officers died when a "huge wave" hit the submarine. Five others were rescued. Preliminary reports suggest the two men who died were washed out to sea after the wave hit during what appeared to have been an exercise. Hector's body was recovered from the submarine. One of the rescued persons was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition, while the other four did not suffer significant injuries and did not need to be hospitalised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain and Lisalee Solomons at News24. Read too, Mini Navy Festival cancelled after submarine tragedy, at News24. En ook, Ondersoek na drie sterf toe vlootoefening skeefloop, by Maroela Media 'She did her job with dignity', says family as Africa's first female officer to navigate a submarine is greatly mourned News24 reports that the Gqeberha aunts of navy officer Lieutenant Commander Gillian Hector, who died during a submarine incident offshore in Kommetjie on Wednesday, are struggling to come to terms with what happened. Anita Malouw and Francine Langeveldt, who are the sisters of Hector's father, said on Thursday said the ordeal was like a nightmare. Hector made headlines in 2019 as SA’s only female officer to navigate a submarine and the first woman in Africa to do so. Langeveldt wept as she spoke about her brother's daughter and said: "Her husband is shattered. He can't even speak." Hector was born and bred in Schauderville, Gqeberha. She married her longtime boyfriend, Romero Hector, in April 2021. They have a son, Tristan, who will turn two in December. Langeveldt described Hector as "down to earth" and someone who never acted superior despite her career successes. She said: “She was always humble, always herself. She did her job with dignity and loved her family with her heart and soul.” The aunts added that Hector has another cousin in the navy, who was tasked with delivering the dreadful news to Hector’s husband and her mother, Bernadette Malouw. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24 (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Vrouepionier in vloot onder drie wat in tragedie sterf, by Maroela Media Experts expect more fatal accidents if out-of-pocket SANDF continues to limp along News24 reports that following a tragic submarine accident in Cape Town, the spotlight has fallen on the SA National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) declining budget. Over the last decade, budget cuts have crippled the SANDF’s ability to maintain its prime equipment such as submarines, special armoured vehicles, fighter jets and the Rooivalk attack helicopter. Pushing uniformed defence personnel to their breaking point would bring about more fatal military mistakes, experts have warned as the country’s armed forces buckle under colossal budget cuts. The submarine, the SAS Manthatisi, was behind schedule for refitting, but SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said that the refitting of the submarine had nothing to do with Wednesday's accident. On Thursday, defence expert Darren Olivier agreed that the cause of the accident could not directly be attributed to funding shortages. “But what we do know is that if we continue to underfund the SANDF so badly compared to its role, force structure, and mandate, and we keep pushing our uniformed personnel to their breaking points, we will see more mistakes happening and more fatal accidents as a result,” he opined. Olivier added: “We have been stretching the SANDF's personnel to breaking point, forcing them to do more with less, to perform miracles with aged equipment, and to keep their skills sharp despite not being given the ideal amount of practice in realistic conditions.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix and Nicole McCain at News24 (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Fawu members at SA Forestry Company down tools for higher pay BL Premium reports that members of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) have embarked on a wage strike at SA Forestry Company Limited (Safcol) in support of demands for above-inflation increases. Safcol, SA’s third largest state-owned enterprise, is involved in the forestry industry with operations in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, and in the Manica and Sofala provinces of Mozambique. Fawu members at Safcol’s Mpumalanga operations downed tools on Wednesday demanding a pay rise of 8%. Their other demands include a standby allowance of R150 per standby, acting and danger allowances of R100 respectively, a sleep-out allowance of R135, and medical aid “subsidised by the employer”. Fawu general secretary Mayoyo Mngomezulu said the union had engaged in protracted negotiations with employers in the industry in an attempt to address worker demands, but “the employers have failed to adequately respond to the demands and left the members with no choice but to exercise their right to strike.” He said the strike would continue “indefinitely” until a satisfactory resolution was reached. Mngomezulu added that while the strike continued, the union would mobilise for a secondary strike “in the industry value chain” and seek an audience with the government departments and ministers responsible. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
SARB keeps repo rate unchanged at 8.25% Moneyweb reports that the repo rate of the SA Reserve Bank (Sarb) remained unchanged at 8.25%, bank governor Lesetja Kganyago confirmed in a widely expected move on Thursday. This was the second consecutive time that the SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) opted to keep rates steady, to the relief of many South Africans and businesses. It means that the prime lending rate of commercial banks remains at 11.75%. The MPC took a ‘hold’ decision at its penultimate meeting in July, following an aggressive hiking cycle of a cumulative 475 basis points since late 2021 in the wake of spiking inflation. Inflation is now within the SARB’s target range, despite a slight uptick in the latest CPI reading for August, which came in at 4.8% year-on-year on Wednesday. In his MPC statement, Kganyago noted: “With services inflation lower in the near term, headline inflation for 2023 is revised down to 5.9% [from 6%]. The headline inflation forecast for 2024 increases slightly to 5.1%, before stabilising at 4.5% in 2025.” However, Kganyago warned that the risks to the inflation outlook were still “assessed to the upside” and “the job of tackling inflation is not done”. Kganyago reported that the bank’s GDP growth forecast for 2024 and 2025 was unchanged from the previous meeting, at 1% and 1.1%, respectively. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Suren Naidoo at Moneyweb
Eskom board at odds with Gordhan over CEO recruitment search Bloomberg reports that the protracted search for Eskom’s new chief executive officer has raised tensions between Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and the state-owned power utility and its board, according to people familiar with the matter. Andre de Ruyter announced his resignation as CEO nine months ago, yet a permanent replacement hasn’t been named despite an ongoing energy crisis that is taking an ever-increasing toll on the economy. A candidate put forward by the board was reportedly rejected on procedural grounds. The board and its chairman, Mpho Makwana, have become frustrated that the selection process has been delayed because of demands from the minister, said one source. Some board members threatened to quit in the coming weeks if Gordhan rejected their recommendation, another source said. According to Eskom, it reviewed 150 potential candidates in its global search for a CEO and had identified “a clear number one,” with two others as joint runner-up. While the utility forwarded its preference to the government, it was deemed to have failed to have met a requirement in the company’s memorandum of incorporation to submit three names and its recommendation was sent back. “The board’s governance and strategy committee is applying its mind and working towards a speedy resolution. Upon conclusion, the shareholder and Eskom will make appropriate announcements,” Eskom said in response to questions. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loni Prinsloo & Paul Burkhardt at Moneyweb DA suspects ANC cadre deployment committee for Gordhan rejecting Eskom’s CEO recommendation The Citizen reports that Eskom continues to be without a leader after the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, rejected the recommendation of the power utility’s board as to a replacement for former CEO Andre de Ruyter. Reportedly, the reason Gordhan rejected the board’s recommendation was because it had only shortlisted one candidate instead of three. Gordhan’s spokesperson Ellis Mnyandu confirmed this and noted the shortlisting requirement was part of Eskom’s Memorandum of Incorporation (MoI). DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia said sending the Eskom board back to the drawing board on the appointment of a new Eskom CEO created a “justifiable suspicion” that the ANC cadre deployment committee was trying to hijack the process to appoint a cadre approved by Luthuli House. Cachalia claimed Gordhan was hiding behind Eskom’s MoI to justify his refusal to consider the recommendation made by the Eskom board. He said it would not be shocking if De Ruyter’s substitute was an ANC candidate. De Ruyter left Eskom with immediate effect in February. Former Chief Financial Officer Calib Cassim, is the acting CEO. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Unathi Nkanjeni at The Citizen
Visa frustrations force Stellenbosch Business School director to quit Financial Mail reports that Prof Mark Smith, the UK-born academic who was appointed director of the Stellenbosch Business School in 2020, had to wait more than a year for home affairs to issue the necessary visa. Now he’s leaving early because his wife and stepdaughter cannot join him. According to Smith, they have been offered temporary visas, but not long enough for a steady home life. Consequently, he will return to France later this year, two years before his Stellenbosch contract expires. “We have to put the family first,” he explained. Prof Charles Adjasi, a Ghanaian academic who has been at Stellenbosch for more than 10 years, will become acting director on 1 November while the school looks for a permanent replacement. Smith says that when he first applied for a visa for himself in 2020, dealing with staff at the Paris embassy, where he made several trips, was a consistently frustrating experience. His experience, he says, is a “microcosm” of the bigger picture in which home affairs makes it hard for needed skills to enter SA. “It’s a constraint on the economy. Talent is being lost as skilled people leave and we can’t bring in anyone to replace them. It’s something we have to reflect on.” Smith will return to Europe, where he and his family will base themselves in the southern French city of Lyon, within manageable distance of business schools in France and neighbouring countries. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by David Furlonger at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Motsoaledi tells Ramaphosa the only way to clear visa backlog is more home affairs staff TimesLIVE reports that Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa for more money to employ staff as the department battles to clear visa backlogs. Briefing a parliamentary committee this week, Mostoaledi blamed a lack of capacity for the delays in the finalisation of visas. The department has to redirect staff working in different fields to help the migration services as pressure mounts from those waiting to get into SA. According to Motsoaledi, the department was operating with a staff complement of only 39%. The National Treasury recently gave the department funds to hire 700 people, which could push the staff complement to 42%. This, however, meant little to visa permit staff. In further comment, Motsoaledi said: “We are attacked for having a backlog on visas; people say the economy will not move because of the backlog. But out of the 75,000 backlog, 35,000 are spousal visas. These are spouses who want to come to SA but want jobs. In a country that battles unemployment, how do you expect home affairs to respond? He added: “If the spouse applies for general work, the law states they must go to the department of employment and labour to check whether there is a South African who can do that work. That is another procedure and takes time. Home affairs gets stuck waiting for the department of employment and labour’s certificate.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Things getting worse and worse at the Bellville department of employment and labour GroundUp reports that it took more than a year for Brackenfell resident Stephan Evans to get his Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) money from the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) office in Bellville, Cape Town. A year after the poor service and long queues at the offices at the Middestad Mall office in Bellville was reported on, the situation has worsened. Clients complain about queueing at dawn and still not receiving help, a dysfunctional online system, delayed payments, bad treatment and rude officials. When GroundUp visited the offices on 7 September at 7am, there was already a long queue. A man was renting stools for R3 to people tired of standing. Gail Lewis, who is waiting for her UIF payment after she lost her job of 28 years in June, had travelled from Bishop Lavis and was in third place after joining the queue at 3am. She indicated: “This is my fifth time coming here. The first time I came they said my documents were not right. The second time there was loadshedding and we were turned away. The third time the system was offline. The fourth time they said my papers were right but I should register online to receive payment. After that I didn’t receive any money or message to say when the money would be paid. That is why I am back to find out what the hold is.” Another person has been trying to claim UIF since April. Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks said there was a problem at UIF offices across the country, not just in Bellville. “Workers struggle to access what is due to them when they apply to the UIF. This is because of the inefficiencies at the UIF and also employers failing to pay their funds over to the UIF,” he noted. Parks said Cosatu was working with the UIF and the National Economic Development and Labour Council to resolve the problems. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tariro Washinyira at GroundUp
Rifle-wielding robbers steal phones and cash from passengers on bus in Gugulethu News24 reports that over last weekend, at least seven men robbed passengers on a Golden Arrow bus in Gugulethu and fled the scene with phones and an undisclosed amount of money. A case was opened at Nyanga police station, and investigations are under way. The bus was travelling from Cape Town and heading to Khayelitsha. Video footage of the incident shows a man with a backpack, which contained the rifle, entering a Golden Arrow bus. Another man removed the rifle from the rucksack and pointed it at the bus driver. At least three more robbers entered the bus and relieved people of their belongings, while two others guarded the door. They then walked back down the aisle toward the door and placed the rifle back in the backpack before making off with the passengers' belongings. Police confirmed the robbery and said the driver was forced to stop the bus before the incident happened. Golden Arrow Bus Services spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said they would “do everything possible to ensure that criminals who target our employees and passengers face the full might of the law." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alfonso Nqunjana and Lisalee Solomons at News24
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