Today's Labour News

TOP READ – DELIVERY BIKE SECTOR

Delivery bike sector set for explosive growth, but many challenges to be resolved

Business Times reports that the food delivery sector has been growing at a rapid rate in the past four years, fuelled by the rise in e-commerce. SA has seen an enormous rise in food parcel deliveries as consumers opt for the convenience of ordering by phone and mobile devices. This has seen a proliferation of light motorbikes fitted with panniers – or saddle boxes – containing fast food or all manner of parcels. Though the industry is in its infant stages, it is revved up for exponential growth as e-commerce, the key driver of the delivery industry, is projected to double to R400bn by 2025, with the number of people buying online expected to reach about 40-million by 2027. According to Conrad Botha of Big Boy Fourways there are an estimated 50,000 delivery bikes on SA roads, and the number is set to more than double in the next three years as more people shop online. Many of the delivery riders are foreign nationals. However, some companies have launched initiatives to get South Africans into the industry. Nicci Scott of Commercial Transport Academy plans to train about 300 women a year for the industry. But the sector is riddled with challenges. These range from exploitation of drivers to long working hours, unsafe motorcycles and safety on the roads. According to Scott, companies are hiring delivery drivers as independent contractors and employ thousands of them without checking the roadworthiness of their bikes. She commented: “I don’t want to put women into that space. I want to make sure that we assist with the regulation that will govern this industry to be a safe industry and that the drivers are properly protected, because it is risky driving a motorcycle – you’re so exposed to people that don’t see you. We also need to create an industry that is gender-neutral.” Botha pointed out many riders were classified as independent contractors, leading to questions about insurance, medical cover and worker benefits.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thabiso Mochiko at Business Times (subscriber access only)

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

JMPD’s role in fatal shooting of EFF councillor during protest in Alexandra on Sunday under investigation

EWN reports that Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor Moshe Mphahlele was killed during a service delivery protest in Alexandra on Sunday. Apparently, he was shot while police were dispersing a crowd of people protesting over the occupation of flats in Bramley. The City advised that the circumstances surrounding Mphahlele's death, allegedly involving members of the Joburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), were currently under investigation. The City’s Vusi Gumbi said: "While details around Councillor Mphahlele's passing remain sketchy at this stage, it is believed that it allegedly involved JMPD officers. The speaker of council urges law enforcement officers to do their job thoroughly and to be allowed the space and time to do a proper investigation so that everything can be brought to light." Meanwhile, the red berets said they will not rest until those responsible for killing Mphahlele were found. The EFF's Gauteng spokesperson Dumisani Baleni said Mphahlele lost his life while trying to mediate talks between the protestors and government officials. He stated: "During this peaceful engagement, Fighter Mphahlele was fatally shot with live ammunition by reckless and irresponsible security agencies. It is important to highlight that the security agencies had no justification for using live ammunition, as the situation was calm and non-violent.   Even more alarming is that this reckless shooting occurred in the presence of state security agencies who are supposed to know best how to handle such matters and resolve them peacefully."

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lauren Isaacs & Thabiso Goba at EWN. Read too, EFF councillor Moshe Mphahlele killed in Johannesburg, at IOL News

Msunduzi municipality investigating Pietermaritzburg fire that started at shoe factory on Saturday

SABC News reports that the Msunduzi Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is investigating the cause of a fire that engulfed multiple buildings in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday. The fire started at a shoe factory on Manchester Road and spread to nearby buildings. The extent of the damage is still being assessed. Emergency services spokesperson Nontobeko Mkhize indicated: “The municipality immediately dispatched a team of firefighters to respond to a fire that broke out in one of the businesses in Manchester. Upon arrival, the building was already ablaze and due to the magnitude of the fire, additional resources had to be deployed from the uMgungundlovu fire department. Our team worked tirelessly until they successfully extinguished the fire. There were no casualties reported and various businesses were affected. The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage and the investigation is underway.”

Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News. Read too, Firefighters muster up the mettle to brave inferno, at The Witness

Popcru applauds KZN police bravery following recent shoot-out in Durban

The Mercury reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has sung the praises of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police officers involved in a recent shoot-out in Durban in which five murder suspects were killed after opening fire on police. Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya commended KZN commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who had led the team. Ngwenya highlighted the importance of acknowledging the hazardous and often life-threatening conditions in which officers operated and said: “Police are often forced to face hardened, heavily armed criminals, and they must continue to respond appropriately and without hesitation to eliminate the threat in these types of situations, even if that sadly means raising their weapons. Their mandate is to protect and serve, and we stand in complete support of them as they perform their task.” He went on to state: “We further acknowledge and reject any criticism from those who have blamed the police for the incident or labelled their actions as violent. It’s disheartening that these same critics remain silent when our police officers are killed, or are quick to blame police for the presence of violent crime in our society.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thakasani Khumalo at The Mercury

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

City of Tshwane to create 4,500 new job opportunities in 2024/2025 financial year

Pretoria News reports that thousands of unemployed people stand to benefit from the City of Tshwane’s public employment programme, which is set to provide approximately 4,500 new job opportunities in the 2024/25 financial year. This will be across all seven regions of Tshwane and support the executive mayor’s urban management programme. This is all thanks to a total allocation of R111 million from the National Treasury, according to MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Hannes Coetzee. He said the City was focused on implementing Phase 4 of the employment programme in its entirety after it successfully completed its Phase 3, which saw it spending more than 97% of the grant. Coetzee said Phase 3 had created more than 7,400 work opportunities in the past year, and was a pivotal force in alleviating poverty and unemployment in Tshwane. “This was achieved through the use of a fair, transparent and audited lottery selection process,” he pointed out. The programme spearheaded diverse projects, from pothole repairs and street light maintenance to initiating environmental projects, such as cleaning, greening and waste management. It also facilitated participation in the artisan development programme. Coetzee indicated that the City was committed to enhancing the quality of service delivery to further advance and fortify involvement, skills development and employment opportunities for the youth, women and persons with disabilities.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rapula Moatshe at Pretoria News

Pretoria West community alleges that non-locals used fake proof of residence to obtain jobs at hospital

SABC News reports that a group of community members in Pretoria West have handed over a memorandum of demands to the Pretoria West hospital. They allege the hospital overlooks locals when hiring staff and considers people outside the community, most of whom come from Limpopo province. They have appealed to hospital management to consider hiring locals. According to community leader Thabo Makola, those hired used fraudulent proof of residence. “We engaged with the management several times and we spoke to procurement managers to give people around here opportunities, but they don’t do that. The management are the ones who told us they are surprised. They said these people just divulged they were given proof of address to be able to work at the hospital.”

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Phumzile Mlangeni at SABC News

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Free State to launch crowdfunding, a catalyst for economic growth and job creation, at The Star

COST OF LIVING / INFLATION

Motorists get another month’s reprieve at fuel pumps in August

Moneyweb reports that motorists can breathe a sigh of relief once more when the price of petrol and diesel drops at midnight on Tuesday. The Central Energy Fund (CEF) announced that there will be a 15 cents per litre decrease in all grades of petrol for August. The wholesale price of 0.05% sulphur diesel will be down by 28 cents per litre and 0.005% sulphur diesel will be 17 cents per litre cheaper.   From Wednesday, inland motorists will pay as follows (coastal prices in brackets): R22.71 per litre for 93 octane unleaded petrol (R21.92); R23.11 per litre for 95 octane petrol (R22.32); R20.38 per litre for diesel with 0.05% sulphur content (R19.59); and R20.74 for diesel with 0.005% sulphur content (R19.98). Fuel prices have come down steadily since June, bringing welcome relief for consumers who have battled to keep their heads above water amid high food prices and elevated interest rates. The consumer inflation rate has also moderated. In June, consumer prices rose 5.1%, slightly down from 5.2% in the prior month. The more subdued inflation rate may prompt the SA Reserve Bank to cut interest rates at its next monetary policy committee meeting in September.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liesl Peyper at Moneyweb. See too, Fuel prices drop more than expected in August, at TimesLIVE

SARB creates new ‘supercore’ inflation measure to assist policy making; sees inflation moderating to 4.3% in last quarter

Bloomberg reports that the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) has constructed a new inflation measure to monitor underlying price developments that will help support monetary policy decision making.   Supercore inflation is made up of core price growth components that are more likely to be triggered by general economic conditions as measured by the output gap and show high sensitivity to the business cycle. The measure will assist policymakers to distinguish short-lived inflationary pressures from those showing more persistent trends. It will also be used alongside headline and core inflation, which strips out food and non-alcoholic beverages, fuel and energy prices. Broadening the suite of measures for assessing underlying price pressures will enhance robustness and confidence of correctly pinning down the persistent inflationary dynamics given the uncertainty around any single such measure.   While headline inflation is still above the midpoint of the central bank’s 3% to 6% target range, where it prefers to anchor expectations, supercore has hovered around the midpoint in recent months.   This suggests that demand-driven inflationary pressures are presently more balanced. The bank now sees inflation moderating to 4.3% in the last quarter of 2024.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntando Thukwana at Moneyweb

UNPAID SALARIES

Protesting security guards at Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg promised salary payments on Monday

The Witness reports that security guards, who protested outside Northdale Hospital last week and forced the government hospital to shut its gates, were expecting to see their salaries deposited into their bank accounts on Monday. Last week, security guards stood outside the hospital on Chota Motala Road demanding payment from their employer, Ncweti Security. The guards refused to allow anyone, including ill residents who needed healthcare, to leave or enter the hospital. One of the aggrieved guards said they had a number of grievances with the company, but payment of salaries was their biggest issue.   An official from Ncweti Security confirmed that the protest was over non-payment, but said this was due to the company not being paid by the Health Department (DoH). “There was a payment delay from the department. The issue has been sorted and employees should expect their salaries [this] week,” he advised. KZN DoH spokesperson Agiza Hlongwane condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the temporary blockage of access into Northdale Hospital. National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) spokesperson Mazwi Ngubane said they were having issues with employees struggling to get paid while working at hospitals. “The employees are not being paid on time and they are the ones who face the hardship. Some of the guards are sleeping in the hospital as they are not getting paid and don’t have the money to commute to and from home. The department said they will rectify the matter and the company is paid. We are also calling for the companies’ contract to be terminated should they not pay their employees. We have found that the company is also deducting funds for UIF but it is not being paid,” he claimed.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shorne Bennie & Ntombizethu Ngcobo at

Reserve Bank expects two-pot system to boost household disposable incomes by between R31bn and R79bn

BL Premium reports that the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) estimates that the “two pot” retirement fund system could boost household disposable incomes by as little as R31bn or as much as R79bn in the fourth quarter of the year. The maximum members might pull out of their funds in a high-withdrawal scenario is R100bn. Retirement sector players have been working overtime to prepare for the new system and to estimate how much their members will choose to withdraw from the “savings” portion of their funds once it kicks in on 1 September. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill of 2023 into law in June, establishing a “two-pot” system that gives retirement fund members access to retirement savings without having to resign or cash out entire pension funds. The new system divides members’ pension and provident funds into a retirement or preservation pot, which makes up two-thirds and must stay in the fund until retirement, and a savings pot that can be withdrawn. It is expected to lead to a flood of withdrawals as members pull out up to a third of their funds, providing a boost to household spending and economic growth, as well as personal income tax collections.   Retirement funds administrator Alexforbes expects a retirement sector outflow of about R50bn when a two-pot system is implemented in September. The SA Revenue Service (SARS) said it was ready to handle the tax component of the payouts. “We are working with other role players to streamline everything,” SARS stated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

FAKE SAPS JOBS

Two bogus cops arrested for 'selling fake jobs' inside Soweto police station

SowetanLive reports that two women aged 50 and 55, who were allegedly involved in a fraudulent scheme while posing as members of the SA Police Service (SAPS), were arrested in Diepkloof, Soweto last Thursday for extortion and impersonating police officers. Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the tactical response unit followed up on a tip-off from an e-hailing driver who initially contacted metro police to inquire about alleged recruitment drives in the SAPS. According to the driver, a woman claiming to be a captain from the Hawks had contacted him, stating she could facilitate his application for a police job if he met specific requirements, including possessing a matric certificate and a driver's licence. “The suspect demanded an upfront payment of R8,000 in cash and instructed the victim to come alone to the Diepkloof police station. Recognising the potential danger of this situation, the officers co-ordinated with the victim and proceeded to the location,” Fihla reported. When they arrived, three women approached the victim's vehicle and led him to an office in the Diepkloof police station. It became evident fraudulent activities were under way when the suspects, with the victim, went to Diepkloof Square to withdraw funds from the victim’s account. The suspects were then taken into custody.   It was later revealed one of the suspects was also a victim who had previously paid R7,000 hoping to secure employment with the police and she was released.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phathu Luvhengo at SowetanLive

ALLEGED NLC CORRUPTION

Alfred Nevhutanda goes to court to stop SIU probe into affairs of National Lotteries Commission

GroundUp reports that the former chairman of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), Alfred Nevhutanda, has gone to court to challenge the proclamation signed in October 2020 by President Cyril Ramaphosa giving the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) the go-head to investigate the affairs of the commission. This investigation led, among other things, to the freezing of a R27-million Pretoria mansion owned by Nevhutanda. In his pending application before the Pretoria High Court, Nevhutanda wants the proclamation to be declared unlawful because the NLC is not an organ of state, nor does it deal with public money which, he claims, are prerequisites under the SIU Act. Further, he says, the proclamation is too broad in that it gives the SIU the power to “go on a fishing expedition, permitting it to turn over any stone to its heart’s content”. The first step in the application, which was filed in April this year, was for the President to file the written record of the decision. That has now been filed and Nevhutanda is expected to file a further affidavit before the President and the government file their papers. Nevhutanda served as chairperson of the NLC Board between December 2009 and November 2020. With reference to the freezing of the property, he claims it is registered in the name of his spouse. Nevhutanda points out that it was initially estimated that the investigation would take a year, and cost about R30.5-million. The investigation has now been going on for three years with no indication of how much it is costing.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at GroundUp