Today's Labour News

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Cape Town cop killer sentenced to life imprisonment

IOL News reports that a man who shot and killed a police officer has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Western Cape High Court.   Aviwe Ndwanyana, 27, was found guilty of charges of murder, attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of unlicensed ammunition, and pointing of a firearm. In June 2020, Constable Asanda Siyoko, 30, and her colleagues from the Nyanga Crime Prevention Unit (CPU) were shot at while inspecting a spaza shop that was operating after curfew in New Rest Squatter Camp, Nyanga. At the time, a curfew to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus was in place and stores could only trade until 6pm. Siyoko and two colleagues were patrolling along Old Klipfontein Road and Moya Street in Old Crossroads when they noticed that a spaza shop was still open after 10.30pm. The three officers inspected the store and were ambushed by a gunman who opened fire on them. All three were shot. Siyoko was hit in the neck, and she later died in hospital due to her injuries. Ndwanyana was arrested on 8 June 2020 and was remanded in custody. The court sentenced Ndwanyana to life imprisonment for murder, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years for possession of an unlicensed firearm, five years for possession of unlicensed ammunition, and 18 months for pointing a firearm.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL News. See too, Cape Town man handed life sentence for killing cop at EWN

DA calls for better mental health support for cops as SAPS suicides escalate

City Press reports that following a shooting incident involving a police sergeant, a former cop and a female brigadier in Limpopo, which left two of them dead this week, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for better psychosocial support for SA Police Service (SAPS) officers. The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) on Tuesday confirmed that a sergeant based at the Westernburg Police Station in Polokwane shot and wounded a former police officer at his house before driving to the station where he gunned down a female brigadier. In a statement, Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the police sergeant later took his own life with his service pistol. He did not disclose the motive for the shootings, but a source with intimate details of the shooting said the three were involved in an alleged love triangle. Mamabolo said that officers experienced profound mental and emotional stress in their line of duty, which might lead to suicide. DA's spokesperson on police, Ian Cameron, said Popcru's statement that at least 300 SAPS officers had committed suicide since 2017 was concerning and the issue needed urgent attention. The SAPS 2022/23 annual report recorded 138 psychologists, 57 "quality of work life" professionals, 205 social workers and 190 chaplains operating in employee wellness programmes. Cameron noted: “These individuals are responsible for the mental wellness of about 180,000 SAPS employees, all operating in extremely high-stress and high-risk environments.” He also reported that the SAPS had a 28.7% vacancy rate for psychologists and counsellors.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zamokuhle Ndawonde at City Press (subscriber access only)

Solidarity welcomes minister’s demand for probe into derelict SAPS HQ purchased in 2016

The Citizen reports that the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, wants answers and an independent report into the purchase of the former Telkom headquarters building by his department, in partnership with the SA Police Service (Saps), in 2016.   He conducted an oversight visit to the dirty, vandalised and vacant complex in the Pretoria CBD on Thursday.   The department’s head of property management, Siza Sibande, told the minister that parts of the building had been vacant since 2017. Other parts of the building were vacated earlier this year after the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) declared it unfit for human occupation.   Some parts of the building cannot be accessed due to safety reasons. Macpherson said it was simply unacceptable that for the past eight years, the building had been barely used and left vacant, which allowed it to be vandalised and occupied by criminal elements. Solidarity accompanied the minister and Pretoria’s mayor, Cilliers Brink, on the oversight visit. In a statement, the trade union recalled that the building had had to be evacuated in haste after it demanded an inspection by the DEL. Johan Böning, head of occupational health and safety at Solidarity, pointed out that building has not been in regular use since then, and SAPS members were now scattered all over and housed in other buildings, while some apparently had no office space and had to stay at home.   “Hopefully the new minister is here to bring change. Like him, we also want to know what irregularities took place here and who should be held responsible for it all,” said Böning.   Solidarity said it was aware of other SAPS sites that have been badly neglected, and it asked the minister to pay attention to them as well.

Based on a report Marizka Coetzer at The Citizen and a statement issued by Solidarity

Preliminary report into deadly George building collapse handed over to Western Cape government

News24 reports that a preliminary report into the collapse of a multi-storey building in George three months ago has been handed over to the provincial government. This was indicated by Western Cape Premier Alan Winde during a debate on his opening of the legislature address on Thursday. Thirty-four people were killed when the building collapsed. Winde confirmed that the province had received the report on its own investigation.   "The Department of Local Government is currently working through that report, and it will more than likely be tabled at our next cabinet meeting. That should give us an indication [whether] we got sufficient [information] to lay charges and to do whatever we need to do," Winde advised. He said they were providing support to families. "We will do everything in our power to ensure that those responsible for this unspeakable tragedy face the consequences of their negligence. In the face of every disaster, our steady investment in our disaster management systems is paying off," Winde indicated. Three probes, namely by the provincial government, the department of employment and labour and the police, are underway into the collapse.   The Engineering Council of SA has reportedly placed an engineer linked to the George building collapse on precautionary suspension.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24

Western Cape premier says commission of inquiry into deadly George building collapse a possibility

EWN reports that Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has not ruled out a commission of inquiry into the George building collapse. But he said that investigating authorities must first be allowed to conclude their work. Winde was responding to a call from the Patriotic Alliance’s Bazil Petrus following a debate on his opening of the provincial parliament address.   Thirty-four people died in May when a nearly complete apartment block caved in on the more than 60 workers on site. At least three investigations are underway, namely by the police, the department of employment and labour and the province. "If the investigations that are on the go at the moment are not satisfactory, then I will call for a commission of inquiry. I do have that power within the Constitution. But I first must give the South African Police Services the space to do and complete their investigation. We are still waiting for that investigation," Winde replied. He added that those complicit in the cause of the collapse would be held accountable.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN

Cosatu fights for compensation for Sea Harvest fishermen who perished on duty in May

EWN reports that the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Western Cape says it cannot keep quiet when workers continue to die on duty. This was indicated with reference to the drowning of 11 fishermen off the Hout Bay coast in May this year. Nine others were rescued. The federation has questioned what it terms the silence of the employer, Sea Harvest Group, about a way forward to compensate the families of the victims.   According to Cosatu, there are questions about safety measures in the sunken as no loose life jackets were found at the scene during the search for the victims. The federation’s provincial secretary, Malvern De Bruyn, said a memorandum of demands was dropped off on the doorstep of the fishing company's headquarters at the V&A Waterfront on Wednesday. It provided as follows: "Employer is to ensure that every fisherman onboard receives basic safety training approved by a competent authority. Employer must ensure that every fisherman onboard is provided with appropriate personnel clothing and equipment. We also want fishermen to be given regular rest periods because they are on shift sometimes for than a month or two to three months."

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Melikhaya Zagagana at EWN

COST OF LIVING / PRICES

‘Shisa Nyama index’ shows South African food inflation fell in July

Bloomberg reports that the falling price of pap – a beloved South African cornmeal dish that forms part of a township shisanyama barbecue – is good news for the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) as it weighs interest rate cuts. Sticky food inflation has been one of the reasons the bank has been hesitant to ease policy, although two of its six policymakers wanted a cut last month, signalling a reduction could be part of the debate when they meet in September.   The SARB has held rates at a 15-year high of 8.25% since mid-2023 and vowed not to adjust policy until price pressures were heading sustainably to the midpoint of its 3% to 6% target range.   Cooling food prices may help make that case. Bloomberg’s Shisa Nyama Index, an early guide on which way food inflation may be headed, showed the average cost of a backyard barbecue fell 0.4% in July from a year earlier. The main drivers of the decline were a drop in the prices of onions, cooking oil and pap. SA’s official headline consumer prices rose an annual 5.1% in June, with food and non-alcoholic beverages advancing 4.6%. “Slower food inflation in South Africa has played a role in the overall deceleration of headline CPI, giving the SARB comfort that the midpoint of 4.5% will be met.” commented economist Razia Khan. Crunching data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group’s survey, Bloomberg’s index tracks the prices of key ingredients in a shisanyama, namely pap, onions, carrots, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, frozen chicken portions, beef and wors.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Read too, SA’s food inflation decelerated to 4.6% year-on-year in June, at Engineering News

Keep medical scheme contribution hikes near inflation rate, Council for Medical Schemes urges

BusinessLive reports that SA’s medical schemes regulator has advised the industry to limit 2025 contribution increases to the SA Reserve Bank’s inflation forecast of 4.4% plus “reasonable estimates of benefit utilisation” to ensure members can retain their cover. The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) pointed out that consumers remained under “serious financial pressure” due to high interest rates, and warned that the cost-of-living crisis combined with high household debt levels could affect members’ ability to afford medical scheme premiums. “Although private medical inflation generally exceeds the CPI (consumer price index) by 2% or 3%, CMS believes that the annual industry price increase assumptions should be closely tied to the CPI. In the current challenging economic climate, raising contributions above the inflation rate is simply above the budget of most cash-strapped consumers,” CMS acting registrar Mfana Maswanganyi said in a circular on Wednesday. He went on to note: “High medical scheme contribution rates also create a barrier for new entrants looking to join the private healthcare industry, posing a threat to the industry’s long-term sustainability.” Just over 9-million people were medical scheme beneficiaries at the end of 2022, the latest year for which data is publicly available. Medical scheme membership has remained flat for many years, largely due to SA’s high unemployment rate. In a separate statement, the CMS said health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi had appointed Maswanganyi acting registrar for three months, after former registrar Sipho Kabane’s term ended on 31 July.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive

LABOUR AND POLITICS

Lesufi’s job creation and security initiatives stuttering, while newly unemployed teaching assistants protest

The Citizen writes that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s job creation and security initiatives, which have been slated by some opposition parties as cynical vote buying for the ANC, are stuttering.   On Wednesday, Lesufi confirmed that the province would be pulling most of the programme’s crime wardens, also known as amaPanyaza, off the streets for further training. And, as the contracts for his youth employment drive came to an end for 32,000 teaching assistants, an angry contingent of newly unemployed people set up a protest camp outside the Gauteng department of education’s office in Tshwane to mark their final day and to demand permanent posts. Speaking during the department of community safety’s budget in the Gauteng legislature, Lesufi said the crime wardens would now be trained to become Gauteng traffic officers. He added that over 1,000 military veterans will also play a role in crime-fighting activities in the province. The contracts of the Nasi iSpani programme beneficiaries in the education sector were informed 8 July that their contracts were to be extended for one month only. In the education department’s letter confirming the contracts would not be extended further, it said a similar recruitment programme could only happen again when “potential funders” were secured. This was despite Lesufi initially promising to extend Gauteng Youth Brigade (GYB) contracts to 2025. Secretary for the GYB, Sihle Mzizi, insisted that the posts should be made permanent.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen. Read too, ‘No one’s coming in or out’: Youth Brigade protesters vow as GDE explains job cuts, at The Citizen

TOP APPOINTMENT

Nelson Mandela Foundation appoints Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi as new chief executive

IOL News reports that after an intensive executive search that spanned many months, the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi as the organisation’s new chief executive with effect from 1 October. The Foundation’s Board Chair, Professor Njabulo Ndebele, welcomed the appointment, adding that Buthelezi has an impressive and unique combination of scholarly, activist and managerial sensibilities. Buthelezi’s curriculum vitae includes leading the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) over the past six years. He has been a prominent social commentator, and fulfilled the role of Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg, where he engaged deeply with questions of justice, transformation, reparation, memory and archive. The outgoing Acting Chief Executive, Verne Harris expressed his support for the appointment of Buthelezi and assured the Foundation that he would remain available for as long as was necessary. “This crucial appointment further strengthens the Foundation after a period of uncertainty; and will boost all aspects of the work we do,” Harris stated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Duduzile Zwane at IOL News

‘BLUE LIGHTS’ ASSAULT TRIAL

Defence for Mashatile's VIP officers points out that video does not show second witness being assaulted

News24 reports that the defence lawyer for eight VIP officers tasked with protecting Deputy President Paul Mashatile told a witness a video did not support his testimony they had assaulted him. In July 2023, a video went viral that showed the accused allegedly assaulting motorists on the N1 in Joburg. The officers face 12 charges. On Thursday, the State's second witness testified during his evidence-in-chief he had been assaulted until he was unconscious. "In the video that you saw, you can agree that nowhere before 10 seconds do we see you. At the instances where you are depicted in the video, can you confirm there's no instance where one of the accused hits you?" defence lawyer Mswazi Makhubele put to the witness.   The witness agreed, but maintained he was assaulted. Makhubele said the accused denied kicking the witness in the face or anywhere else.   "At the time he approached you, did he look down as he was hitting you?" he asked. The witness said the officer did and that was how he saw his face. The defence proceeded to question the witness on why he did not go to a doctor when he arrived at the military base if he had suffered injuries. The case has been postponed to 20 August for the State's third witness to be called.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Aphelele Mbokotho at News24. Read too, Witness tells court VIP cops kicked him in the face, hit him on back of his head, at News24

COMMUTING

Prasa takes another step towards return of full operations on Cape Town’s central line

EWN reports that the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has taken another step towards the return of full operations on Cape Town’s central line. The new blue and white carriages have been introduced and the line runs beyond Nyanga, now stopping at Mandalay. This follows the completion of electrical infrastructure work between Nyanga and Nolungile stations. "In addition to the new trains, the completion of signaling from Langa to Mutual station marks a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance the safety and reliability of our services. This modern signaling system will not only improve the frequency and punctuality of our trains but will also reduce delays and congestion. The rollout of the new trains and advanced signaling system shows a commitment to revitalise and modernise the commuter rail services," said Prasa spokesperson, Andiswa Makanda.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Lauren Isaacs at EWN

OTHER REPORTS OF INTEREST

• Protesting parents close boys' prep school in KZN, demand removal of controversial principal, at News24
• Eskom’s Camden power station cable thief sentenced to 15 years, at The Citizen
• Ramaphosa empowers Ipid to investigate serious crimes committed by police and metro police officers, at IOL News
• What another term of Gwede Mantashe means for mining, at Miningmx