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 South African
labour-related reports.
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'We cannot live like this', laments principal after school teacher shot dead in full view of pupils TimesLIVE reports that Phikiswayo Primary School principal Mthokozisi Mchunu is in shock after the brutal murder of a female teacher at the school on Monday. Grade R teacher Dudu Khumalo, 46, was shot dead by two unknown gunmen in view of pupils and colleagues at the school in Richmond Farm, Ntuzuma, north of Durban. “I’m out of words. Seeing her body, gunned down inside the school premises. Five bullets on a young woman, an educator,” said Mchunu. He went on to lament: “One believes the law will take its course because this is not acceptable, we cannot live like this.” KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda confirmed: “Two unknown suspects fired several shots at the victim before fleeing. The woman was declared dead at the scene.” Apparently, the suspects approached Khumalo who was in the staff room at the time. She tried to escape but collapsed and died in the corridor. Mchunu said the motive for the attack was unknown as Khumalo didn't indicate her life was in danger. “There were no threats against her that I know of. She never mentioned any sort of danger that might happen,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lwazi Hlangu at TimesLIVE. Read too, Eastern Cape grade 10 pupil stabbed to death by schoolmate, at The Citizen Limpopo cop shoots brigadier and colleague dead, wounds a former officer and then turns gun on himself News24 reports that on Sunday afternoon, a Limpopo police officer killed two colleagues and wounded a former officer before turning his service pistol on himself. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, the Provincial Crime Intelligence Unit sergeant went to the former police officer's home in Southern Gateway in the Westenburg policing area, outside Polokwane. During an altercation there, the sergeant shot the former officer in the head. A brigadier who was also at the residence at the time, tried to escape in her car. "Unfortunately, the suspect fired several shots at her, resulting in her succumbing to the gunshot wounds," said Mashaba. She had been the Head of the Provincial Registrar. The police sergeant then turned the gun on himself inside the senior officer’s car. Another former police officer who was at the house at the time was injured and taken to hospital. "The motive for the incident is not yet known. The police have since opened cases of murder, attempted murder and an inquest," said Mashaba. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24. See too, Limpopo sergeant kills colleague, dies by suicide, at SowetanLive Survivors of George building collapse face neglect and hardship as government 'abandons' them News24 reports that after the devastating building collapse in George in May, builder Elias Tavede faces a battle for medical care and lost wages as he and fellow survivors struggle amid official neglect and mounting hardship. Tavede, a Mozambican and a father of two, broke his leg when the building collapsed, and now, he cannot earn a living. He relies on handouts. Tavede said doctors had placed a metal pin in his leg, and he was in constant pain. "I lost my Mozambican ID card and passport during the tragedy, and I need to return home to replace them, but I don't have the money. I was not even paid for the days I worked in May," Tavede claimed. Di Kershaw of the George Rotary Club accused the government of "abandoning" the survivors. "These people lost their papers during the tragedy, and now home affairs cannot assist them," she said, adding that the survivors needed accommodation, food, toiletries, and help applying for their documents. "They should not be neglected just because they are foreign nationals; they are also human," she said. Kershaw pointed out that President Cyril Ramaphosa had visited the scene and promised to give the families government assistance, but claimed that this had yet to materialise. David Esau of the Western Cape labour and employment department advised that many undocumented, injured workers left the country after being released from hospitals, making it impossible to determine how many were permanently or temporarily disabled following the incident. He said the Compensation Fund would pay the workers injured on duty. Esau added that the department could not address the issue of disability grants, which should be referred to the social development department. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mothushi Thoka & Lisalee Solomons at News24. Lees ook, George-ramp: Dag onder die rommel spook by elektrisiën, by Netwerk24 (toegang slegs vir intekenare) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Talks to end strike by workers at SABS over restructuring process collapse SABC News reports that talks to end the strike action by workers at the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) in Pretoria have collapsed. This as the strike entered its second week, with employees having downed tools over the entity’s restructuring process. They are accusing the employer of unilaterally changing the payment and employment structure, amid concerns that the new plan will have a negative impact on workers’ salaries and benefits. The strike action is said to be affecting audits, testing and compliance with product certification backlogs across the country. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) engaged with the SABS management to resolve the strike, but with no joy. According to the union, it has non-negotiables and the workers will continue with the strike until those demands are met. “Those key issues are that they must end exploitation in ensuring that no one at the SABS is paid below the minimum of the scale, that is a no-go area. The second issue is that they need to move workers into the midpoint of the scale and that can be a phased in process and at no point should the workers be paid below the minimum of the scale including maintaining our benefits and moving away from the cost to company,” Nehawu’s Zolani Masoleng advised. Meanwhile, the union has written to all entities operating under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to also join in and issue notices to strike this week, as the union plans a secondary strike in support of the SABS action. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katlego Legodi at SABC News
Gayton McKenzie, staff of KZN Museum discuss merger fears Independent of Saturday reports that after meeting with Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie recently, staff members of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum hope that their worries over the amalgamation of their institution with others as part of government’s reform programme will be addressed. The minister made a quick visit to talk to management and staff, thus giving the workers a platform to air their concerns. According to the staff, they had been kept in the dark over a possible merger with Ditsong Museum in Gauteng during what they labelled as a lengthy process which had caused anxiety among staff about their jobs. Staff said their concerns began in April when a government gazette notice indicated the museum would be “abolished”. “All of us were quite shocked, more so because nothing had really been communicated to us,” said one member of an association which represents staff at meetings with museum management. “When we heard there was a process to amalgamate our museum with another, we were not going to oppose it, but simply wanted to be informed and involved as the matter also affected us,” the staff member added. Another staff member said they had been encouraged after meeting the minister. “We got a sense of somebody that wants to engage with us, get our views and get the matter resolved as soon as possible. That is very encouraging to many of us who have been anxiously waiting to hear the conclusion of this process,” the staff member stated. Staffers are looking forward to the next meeting with McKenzie. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sibusiso Mboto at IOL News Drum and True Love magazines said to also be ‘on the chopping block’ BL Premium reports that two of SA’s best-known magazine publications, Drum and True Love, are said to be on the chopping block and at risk of being closed. Yet, Media24 has failed to disclose this publicly. The two titles were moved completely online in 2020. The Naspers-owned media group is selling its media logistics business, On the Dot, and its community newspaper portfolio to Novus Holdings, subject to regulatory approvals. In mid-June, Media24 said that it was seeking to close the print editions of five newspapers, transitioning three of them into digital-only brands, placing 400 jobs at risk. Drum and True Love are part of SNL24 digital hub. While Media24 disclosed it was shutting down the digital hub, it did not specifically disclose this would mark the end of Drum and True Love. Plans for other titles that make up SNL24 were “The fact that the digital hub SNL24 is now closing, the rest of us can assume that the websites of Drum and True Love are closing. And from the section 189 process that’s been going on, it seems the whole [Drum and True Love] team is being retrenched, all the permanent staff,” a source commented. The source said that teams from the two publications found out only when HR sent out a communication and set up internal meetings for whoever was involved in the section 189 process. The Drum and True Love teams have been part of those meetings. Solidarity indicated that it had not received any official communication from Media24 about the closure of Drum and True Love, or a retrenchment process involving staff of the two titles. However, the trade union confirmed that staff of the two titles had been included in meetings on Media24 employees being retrenched. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mudiwa Gavaza at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Two-pot statutory hurdle crossed, now the race by retirement funds to prepare is on Discovery CEB reports that on 21 July, the President signed the Pension Funds Amendment Bill into law, which followed his signing of the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill on 1 June. Thus, all prerequisites have successfully been concluded for SA’s new two-pot retirement system to take effect. “In five weeks’ time, members of South African retirement funds will be able to access a portion of their retirement savings before they retire,” Guy Chennells of Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits indicated. But, Chennells warned that “funds that have not submitted their rules amendments by 31 July can’t be certain that their withdrawal rules will be registered and approved by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) before 1 September”. According to a FSCA communication issued on 19 July, only 30% of anticipated submissions (rule amendments) were received before the initial deadline of 15 July. The authority is still waiting for more than 350 retirement funds to submit their respective rule amendments, so it extended the deadline to 31 July. Rules submitted after the 31 July extension date will not be prioritised, will be subject to normal FSCA service level agreements, and may not be registered by September. Rule amendments remain invalid unless registered and approved by the regulator, and funds/administrators may not act on unapproved rules. Further, the funds/administrators will have to take responsibility for any consequences resulting from non-compliance with these legislative changes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Moneyweb
SADTU worried about cases of alleged racism in SA schools EWN reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has weighed in on recent cases of alleged racism at schools, saying they were extremely concerning. This followed three separate incidents, in two provinces, in less than a week. In the most recent incident at Pinelands High School, a video posted on social media this week shows black learners cast in the role of slaves and placed in a cage while their coloured classmates pretend to auction them off. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has called the incident hurtful and disturbing. SADTU general secretary Xolani Fakude said the union would do everything in its power to push back against racism. "We are also calling for increased parental involvement. We are saying that parents must take an interest in what their children are doing, how they behave and conduct themselves. A school is a microcosm of society," he stated. Fakude added: "We are also calling for deeper investigations and understanding into what really causes some of these practices that we see, such as the one at Pinelands High School." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carlo Peterson at EWN. Read too, ANC calls for investigation into racism at schools across Western Cape, at EWN. And also, 'Slavery at schools is crazy': Pupils suspended as alleged racism at Cape Town schools sparks uproar, at News24
Former ETDP SETA manager wins labour court battle for R1.5m in unpaid salaries News24 reports that a former manager of the Education, Training and Development Practices (ETDP) Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) has won the second round of his legal battle to force it to pay him R1.5 million in salaries owed to him. The ETDP SETA facilitates and promotes the training of accredited training and development providers to guarantee the quality of provision. Mahomed Sader, who had been the manager of the Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) unit at the entity, was dismissed in August 2018 after he was found guilty of misconduct, including bringing it into disrepute. On 10 January, the Johannesburg Labour Court ordered that he be paid his outstanding salary by the end of February, but the ETDP SETA lodged an application for leave to appeal. On 24 July, Johannesburg Labour Court Acting Judge Werner Kruger, who also handed down the judgment on 10 January, dismissed the ETDP SETA's application with costs, saying that "the application is without merit and scarce judicial resources should not be spent on it". Welcoming the judgment, Sader said it illustrated that the judicial system and labour legislation were being ignored and that "it raises questions about accountability within the organisation [SETA] as well as the bodies that are supposed to be monitoring the conduct of such organisations". The ETDP SETA's acting legal and compliance specialist, Nkanyiso Sithole, said they received the judgment on Thursday night and were still studying it "in order to make a well-informed decision". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24
Assault trial of former presidential protection officers resumes SABC News reports that the trial of eight former VIP security officers of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who allegedly assaulted three people on the N1 freeway last year, resumes in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. On Monday morning, the matter was rolled over to Tuesday to give the defence sufficient time to present its video footage. According to the defence, the video shows one of the victims removing beer bottles from the vehicle in which they had been travelling. The eight police officers were responsible for the protection of Deputy President Paul Mashatile when the incident occurred. The National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane indicated: “We will deal with the video that the defence says it’s an extension of what the state has provided to the court. We will await that process. Obviously, the video still has to be authenticated but the court has provisionally accepted the video.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Horisani Sithole at SABC News. Read too, Mashatile VIP assault case: Defence claims witness in N1 assault was intoxicated, at News24. And also, VIP protectors assault: Officers' lawyer alleges driver did not have licence, at News24
Atlantis court clerk ordered to repay R473,000 and forfeit her pension after fraud conviction The Citizen reports that a former clerk of the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court, Western Cape, has forfeited her pension and was ordered to pay R10,000 per month to the Department of Jstice (DOJ) after she was convicted of fraud. Olivia Adonis worked as the main cashier at the court between 6 May 2009 and 15 April 2019, where her responsibilities included depositing and withdrawing cash, viewing the court’s online bank statement to enable her to prepare monthly bank reconciliation statements using the Justice Deposit Account System (JDAS) System, and receiving and accounting for monies received by the state and institutions. She managed third-party funds, the safekeeping of all cash in transit slips, including bank deposit slips received from the bank, the management of safe money and keys, and the receipt and allocation of floats to the office cashier. Adonis, however, misused her employer for her own benefit between April 2018 and April 2019, misappropriating money under her control by completing bank deposit slips but not making cash deposits into the court’s account. This led to Adonis not banking over R648,000 in the court’s bank account. This was uncovered by the DOJ when the incorrect monthly bank statement did not correspond with the court’s actual bank balance. Following this discovery, Adonis booked off sick and subsequently resigned. The very same court where Adonis worked convicted her on eight counts of fraud and sentenced her to eight years of imprisonment suspended for five years. She was also sentenced to 36 months of correctional supervision and placed under house arrest for the duration of the supervision. The court further ordered that R174,000 held with the Government Employment Pension Fund be transferred into her former employer’s account. Adonis was also ordered to repay the remaining R473,410 at a rate of R10,000 per month. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chulumanco Mahamba at The Citizen Former Old Mutual advisor who stole clients' money fails to overturn debarment Fin24 reports that a former Old Mutual financial advisor who fleeced clients of their savings has failed in a bid to overturn his debarment. Lesiba Bethuel Phaho applied to the Financial Services Tribunal (FST) to reconsider his debarment by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) for a period of five years from 14 November 2022. However, in a 26 July ruling, the FST dismissed his application for reconsideration and ruled that the decision to debar him was correct. Phaho was employed by Old Mutual SA as a personal financial advisor from 1 January 2005 until 20 April 2021, shortly before a forensic report by the group concluded that he had misappropriated money from three of his clients. The FSCA sent Phaho a notice in 2022, warning him that he faced possible debarment in terms of the Financial Sector Regulation Act. The notice was sent to his last known email address, but he failed to respond and was subsequently debarred. However, in his application for reconsideration, Phaho claimed the notice of debarment never reached him as it was sent to an incorrect email address. He further claimed that he only became aware of his debarment when he visited the FSCA offices about a year later to enquire about his fit and proper status. However, the FST ruled that the FSCA had complied with legal requirements by delivering its notification of its intention to debar him to his last known email or physical address. The FST also said that since his reconsideration application was a fresh rehearing of the issue, he could have responded during that process. Nevertheless, the FST found that he had failed to take this opportunity despite it indulging him with "liberal latitude" in that regard. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Garth Theunissen at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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