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.
City Press reports that although they earn enormous salaries of nearly R2 million per year, the military’s top generals do not pay a cent for water and electricity because taxpayers pick up that tab.
According to Rapport, some of the generals’ water and electricity bills amount to more than R20,000 per month. For a mere R1,600 per month, the generals can live in luxurious houses in prestigious neighbourhoods such as Waterkloof and that too is paid by the taxpayers. Moreover, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) pays huge amounts to refurbish the generals’ properties, which are guarded by soldiers. Renovation and maintenance work is often handled by the army’s own craftsmen, although the houses are rented through the department of public works. When load shedding was still in effect, each general had a military generator at his home. The generals’ royal treatment is increasingly viewed with resentment by the rest of the soldiers – especially since SA’s forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently suffering from a lack of equipment, proper accommodation and medical facilities. Pikkie Greeff of the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) commented: “Soldiers are growing more disillusioned because the generals don’t care about the troops at ground level.” Greeff had to obtain an urgent high court order last month to restore the electricity at 4 SA Infantry Battalion in Middelburg, where the offices and residences had been without power for nearly two weeks. "There are army houses where the geysers don’t work. The army’s attitude is that the soldiers can fix them themselves. We’re compiling a list of similar defects and then we’re going to fight the case in court, based on the provisions of the occupational health legislation. Soldiers just want to do their jobs in acceptable conditions,” said Greeff. According to the latest defence force annual report up to March 2023, there are a total of 15 generals at salary levels 15 and 16. They fall into the ranks of lieutenant-general and general – the equivalents of deputy director-general and director-general in the rest of the civil service.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Erika Gibson at City Press (subscriber access only)
- Lees ook, Jy dok op vir generaal se Superman-kamer, by Netwerk24 (toegang slegs vir intekenare)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page