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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
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Perception of South African public sector corruption hits new low BL Premium reports that SA has regressed on an international index tracking perceptions of corruption in the public sector, placing it in the category of flawed democracies and just one level above non-functioning regimes. Global anticorruption body Transparency International (TI) released its corruption perceptions index (CPI) 2023 report on Tuesday, which found that SA had regressed from a score of 43 in 2022 to 41 in 2023. TI’s local chapter, Corruption Watch, said that since it started tracking its progress on the index 12 years ago, “SA has never scored as low as 41 – until now. This score is a decline from the previous low of 42 in 2013, and two points below its maiden score of 43 in 2012. It is one of 23 countries that reached their lowest-ever scores this year, stumbling into the category of flawed democracies.” The index is a global indicator of public sector corruption. It rates 180 countries and territories on perceptions of public sector corruption, using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, and think-tanks. The index uses a scale of 0 to 100 where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. However, it measures perceptions of corruption and not corruption reported or experienced by the public. SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) spokesperson Trevor Shaku expressed concern about the latest index. He commented that despite the work done by the state capture commission, “there has been no effective arrest [that has] led to a successful prosecution. It is therefore clear that there is no sense of [urgency] from the government in addressing corruption.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, SA hits new low for corruption, Transparency International index shows, at Moneyweb. And also, Corruption Index: SA joins countries where corruption thrives and is entrenched, at The Citizen
Gunned down Rand Water executive was ‘heavily guarded due to threats on his life’ TimesLIVE reports that a Rand Water executive who was gunned down on Monday during a back-to-school event in Zakariyya Park, south of Johannesburg, had bodyguards due to previous death threats. Rand Water chief shared services officer Teboho Joala was one of two people who died after a group of men entered the hall where the entity was hosting a function and started shooting. The second person killed was Joala's protector. The attackers fled in a getaway vehicle. The motive for the shooting is unknown at this stage. “Two people were declared dead on the scene while three were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds,” said a police spokesperson. City of Johannesburg chief whip Sithembiso Zungu was among the wounded and is recovering in hospital. Rand Water executives were present for the handover of 1,670 pairs of school shoes and uniforms to pupils from eight schools. They were joined by the chief whip, who is also the ward councillor for the area. Joala joined Rand Water in 2019 as general manager for communications and stakeholder management. He was appointed to his current position in 2021. Joala had several protectors with him at the time of his death. ANC Gauteng spokesperson Lesego Makhubela told Newzroom Afrika: “He (Joala) was heavily guarded because of threats on his life. Yesterday [Monday] he had around four bodyguards because of the death threats and one bodyguard was fatally shot. Two are fighting for their lives in hospital,” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khanyisile Ngcobo at TimesLIVE. Read too, Murdered Rand Water exec Teboho Joala received death threats for some time, at EWN. And also, Witness watched in horror as Rand Water chief gunned down in cold blood in front of pupils, at News24 Two TMPD officers in serious car accident Pretoria Rekord reports that two Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers are in hospital following a car accident. The roadway law enforcement members were rushed to hospital on 29 January around 15:20 after their vehicle collided with a truck and a utility vehicle in Centurion. Emergency responders Cert SA in a statement indicated: “Two metro police officers sustained injuries ranging from minor to severe when the vehicle they were travelling in allegedly veered off the road in the rain and across the centre median where it collided with a truck. The occupants of the truck miraculously escaped without serious injury.” Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Deputy Chief Charles Mabaso said the service responded to the incident and transported an officer to hospital in a critical condition, while three other three patients were transported to hospital under stable conditions. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are not yet clear and police have yet to investigate the matter. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Reitumetse Mahope at Pretoria Rekord Cele honours slain cops by raising R6.6m in education funds for their children City Press reports that when the SA Police Service (SAPS) recently observed National Police Day, Police Minister Bheki Cele indicated that the law enforcement organisation would be raising funds for the children of police officers who had died in the line of duty. The minister said that R6.6 million was raised last Thursday by more than a hundred golfers from different corporate companies for the SA Police Education Trust Fund (SAPSET), which is overseen by a board of trustees led by Vuyani Jarana, who is responsible for sourcing and raising funds to keep children of slain officers in school. Cele added that the money would go towards the educational needs of the children and that the fund had supported 1,078 children, 54 of whom had graduated and 146 of whom had completed matric and obtained a National Senior Certificate. He said: “These funds go a long way towards making a meaningful difference in the lives of these children left behind. The least we can do is to ensure these children don’t carry the extra burden of stressing about school fees, books and school uniforms, knowing their educational needs have been taken care of. We hope more corporates and the overall business fraternity will in the future come on board to support this cause.” SAPSET was established in 2010, during Nathi Mthethwa's tenure as the police minister. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zamokuhle Ndawonde at City Press (subscriber access only) Give families of slain officers more benefits, say police unions The Mercury reports that police unions have called for more benefits to be made available for the families of police officers who have been killed in the line of duty. This was indicated by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and the Independent Policing Union of SA (Ipusa) after the commemoration of National Police Day on 27 January. More than 100 golf players from various corporate companies recently raised R6.6 million towards the SA Police Education Trust Fund (Sapset). Popcru’s Richard Mamabolo said any initiative aimed at improving the lives of deceased officers’ families, especially their dependants, was welcomed. However, he said that it was key for police to have death insurance that would add on to the current death grant of R250,000. “Our experience has been that this amount isn’t sufficient to sustain dependants as most officers killed on or off duty are relatively young, with minor kids and most being breadwinners,” he pointed out. Ipusa’s Bethuel Nkuna said while the union appreciated the contribution made by the golfers, the union believed the money raised was not enough to take care of the medical challenges widows and widowers faced in raising these children. He said most of the surviving parents were unemployed and unable to continue paying for the Polmed medical scheme, forcing the children to go to public health-care facilities. “Our passionate plea to the authorities is that our orphans should enjoy maximum benefits without making them pay for Polmed,” he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karen Singh at The Mercury Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Clothing retailers must shoulder blame for deplorable working conditions, says Sactwu Business Report writes that the Southern African Textile and Workers’ Union (Sactwu) said on Monday that big South African clothing and apparel retailers should shoulder the blame for “deplorable and terrible working conditions” in the country’s textiles industry. Global union IndustriALL indicated in a new report entitled ‘Deplorable Working Conditions at Textile and Garment Factories in South Africa’ that SA textiles workers in peri-urban and rural areas were struggling with poor working conditions such as long working hours, poor pay and strict toilet visiting times. The report followed a visit to textile manufacturers in Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal, in December by inspectors from the Department of Employment and Labour. The report noted that the inspectors discovered that workers in the factories were working “12 long working hours with only 30 minutes lunch breaks” while occupational health and safety violations were common. It added that workers “face restrictions when going to the toilets and having lunch in areas with unsanitary conditions. Some chemicals used in the factories were unlabelled and handled without personal protective equipment and in some instances placed in front of fire equipment.” Further to this, the textiles factories in the area paid wages that were below the minimum wages for the garment and textile industries. Some employers were paying R10 per hour instead of the industry minimum R25.42 per hour as agreed upon in the bargaining council. Sactwu’s Etienne Vlok said large SA retailers were making the situation difficult by not insisting on responsible workplace practices from the manufacturers that supply them with textiles. “The big concern is that SA shops and retailers are often the ones who gain the most from these practices. The companies manufacturers sell on the garments to retailers who then make money based on the exploitation of clothing workers by employers,” said Vlok. There is global pressure for companies and retailers to move towards sustainable procurement. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tawanda Karombo at Business Report
Case against Sibanye-Stillwater employee for horrific murder of colleague at hostel postponed Randfontein Herald reports that Boinehelo Lefefa, the 43-year-old Sibanye-Stillwater employee accused of brutally killing his colleague, made his first appearance in the Westonaria Regional Court on 30 January. He had already appeared in the Westonaria Magistrate’s Court twice, where he chose to abandon his bail application. The case was postponed to 28 May because the recording machine used in court was out of service. Lefefa faces a charge of premeditated murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his colleague on 9 November 2023. According to the National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson for Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane, the horrific incident happened in front of onlookers at the Leseding Hostel. According to Mjonondwane, Lefefa stabbed the deceased several times, cut open his stomach, and tried to cut off his head. He then proceeded to take his cellphone, took photos, and made videos posing with the deceased. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Dominique Duvenhage at Randfontein Herald Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Ramaphosa hints at basic income grant (BIG) as general election nears Bloomberg News reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa again hinted at introducing a basic income grant (BIG), saying that there was a “strong case” for it despite the nation’s fiscal constraints. He was speaking in his capacity as president of the ruling ANC during the party’s annual strategy lekgotla on Monday. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will table the nation’s annual budget on 21 February, just months before the ANC heads into its toughest election since coming into power in 1994. “The challenge remains that millions of working-age adults in our country remain unemployed without any form of support and little prospect of gaining employment until economic growth picks up. There is therefore a strong case for a permanent form of a targeted income-support grant for the unemployed within our fiscal constraints. Discussions should continue among us about what we have termed a basic income grant,” Ramaphosa said. He pointed out that a temporary stipend introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic – and touted as a possible precursor to a basic income grant – had staved off poverty for more than 2 million people. Godongwana announced the extension of the R350 monthly payout to March 2025 during his mid-term budget in November, but warned that a comprehensive overhaul of the social-support system was necessary. The National Treasury has tried numerous times to shut down the unfunded grant but has repeatedly had to re-introduce it. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by S'thembile Cele at Moneyweb
Nelson Mandela Bay knew about my suspension at previous job, says fraud-accused COO News24 reports that the fraud-accused chief operations officer (COO) of the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Metro, Christopher Dyani, was placed on precautionary suspension at his previous job with Pikitup. However, according to Dyani, the metro knew about the allegations when it appointed him last year. While a report by an independent investigator appointed by Pikitup contains serious allegations against him, Dyani has responded as follows: “I confirm that there were allegations made against me, albeit unsubstantiated. In any event, no disciplinary hearing was convened prior to my resignation from Pikitup. Importantly, that was disclosed in writing to Nelson Mandela Bay during my recruitment process and verbally during my interview.” He added that his managing director at Pikitup was contacted as a reference during his recruitment process, and on the form she had to complete, she wrote there were allegations of misconduct against him, but the allegations "were never tested before his resignation". Dyani has pointed out that: "No charges were formulated, and no disciplinary process was undertaken." In the meantime, NMB Deputy Mayor Babalwa Lobishe has instructed the acting city manager, Luvuyo Magalela, to "urgently investigate" allegations of misrepresentation against Dyani about his salary at the metro. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24. Read too, Suspended Nelson Mandela Bay City manager back in charge, at News24
Three Gauteng cops in court for allegedly stealing R700k luxury watch, liquor and other items during raid The Citizen reports that three Gauteng police officers and two civilians appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Monday after they were accused of taking a complainant’s luxury watch, traffic registers, a driver’s licence and liquor during a raid. In June 2022, the officers, Sergeant Jackson Mthombeni, Sergeant Sophie Matodzi and Constable Kgomotso Molefe, drove alongside the complainant in a marked police vehicle, before pulling him over. After searching his car, the officers then asked to search the complaint’s apartment, where they allegedly took his watch valued at R700,000, along with traffic registers, his driver’s licence and liquor. “The officers are then alleged to have demanded that the man transfer R150,000 into a Standard Bank account belonging Charlene Marizane in exchange for his belongings that were taken,” police spokesperson Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela indicated. During investigations, a bag containing the belongings of the man was found in the private vehicle belonging to a fifth individual named Sheldon Mhlanga. The police then arrested all three officers as well as Marizane and Mhlanga and charged them with corruption, defeating the ends of justice, conspiracy to commit a crime, theft and kidnapping. On Monday, four of the accused were granted bail of R5,000 each and the matter was postponed to 5 February 2024. Mhlanga’s case was remanded to the same date for his formal bail application. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Devina Haripersad at The Citizen Three 'blue light' bogus cops arrested on R59 in Ekurhuleni with six firearms TimesLIVE reports that police arrested three bogus cops on Tuesday in Ekurhuleni after finding them with firearms, including an AK47 rifle. They will face charges of impersonating a police officer and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. “Members of the Brackendowns police were patrolling along the R59 on Tuesday when they noticed a suspicious looking BMW with blue lights. The vehicle was stopped and three occupants were found in possession of six firearms that included an AK-47 rifle and a shotgun,” police indicated in a statement. They later established that the suspects' vehicle was a rental vehicle. The suspects are expected to appear at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court soon. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at TimesLIVE
Eastern Cape shop employee seeks protection order against female boss for demanding threesome and for assault The Citizen reports that an Eastern Cape retail store employee has applied for a protection order against her supervisor for perpetually begging her to join her and her husband in bed for sexual intercourse. The employee further opened a criminal case after the woman allegedly assaulted her for allegedly refusing to sleep with the couple. Sanelisiwe Hloyi, 24, is said to be living in fear of the woman after she allegedly stormed her home last Saturday uninvited and allegedly assaulted her physically for rejecting the threesome offer. The assault at her home proved to be the final straw for Hloyi as she went to Makhanda’s Joza police station on Monday and reported the woman. An investigation into the incident is currently underway. The police have also served the suspect with a summons to appear in court for the finalisation of a protection order against her. In her statement, Hloyi told the police how her line manager’s unbearable and traumatising sexual advances forced her to stop going to work. She said the unwanted attention began in March 2023, just two weeks after joining Crazy Store, situated at Makhanda’s Pepper Grove Mall. The abuse apparently continued ceaselessly for eight months despite Hloyi telling the manager that she was also a married woman and was faithful to her husband. The manager has since been placed on suspension over the allegations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at The Citizen
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