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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
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Over 2,500 police trainees evacuated from academy in Tshwane following gas pipeline explosion on Wednesday News24 reports that police officers and trainees were evacuated from the SA Police Service (SAPS) Training Academy in Tshwane after a gas pipeline exploded on Wednesday morning. National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola ordered the evacuation of more than 2,500 police trainees as well as officers from other specialised units, including the Natjoints Coordination Centre, stationed at the academy. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the decision to evacuate was taken following consultation with experts. Masemola said the safety of police trainees and members was a priority, and the evacuation was a precautionary measure to preserve lives. No injuries were reported. A venue operational centre comprising various experts was established under the command of the deputy national commissioner for policing. The explosion, which ignited a fire, happened next to Rebecca Road, near one of the entrances to the academy. Spokesperson for Tshwane Emergency Services, Lindsay Zwelithini Mnguni, said the fire was reported to the emergency control centre at 11:58. Firefighters took a decision to not extinguish the fire because of the possibility that a vapour cloud could form and explode. At around 13:55, Sasol confirmed it was one of their pipes, and closed the valves. Firefighters waited for the fire to burn out. They, however, extinguished a fire in an abandoned building adjacent to where the blaze erupted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24. Read too, SAPS evacuates over 2,500 trainees after gas pipeline explosion, at The Citizen Dutywa Health Centre, where incinerator room was gutted by fire, doesn’t comply with fire safety rules GroundUp reports that after a fire destroyed the incinerator room at the Dutywa Community Health Centre, Eastern Cape MEC for Health Ntandokazi Capa admitted that the centre does not have a valid fire compliance certificate. On Saturday, a veld fire reached the Dutywa health facility, resulting in the incinerator room catching fire. However, further damage to the centre was prevented, and it is still operating. In another incident on the same day, 10 prefabricated homes used by staff at Holy Cross Hospital in Flagstaff also burnt down in a veld fire. While GroundUp was shown a valid certificate for Fire Equipment Compliance for the Holy Cross Hospital, Capa acknowledged that the Dutwya centre did not have valid fire certificate. The Dutywa facility’s incinerator room is located near the main buildings which are used to store flammable containers. Health workers and patients at the centre reported how they “went out of their way” to douse the fire, fearing it would reach the nearby fuel tank. Everything inside the incinerator room was charred and melted. SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) Gqeberha leader, Mzikazi Nkatha said compliance had always “been a problem” with the department. He added: “They continue to attribute this to budget cuts implemented by the national government, but they just don’t comply with the law. What would have happened had the fuel tank and generator caught fire?” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Joseph Chirume at GroundUp Police investigating fatal stampede on Tuesday at Marabastad Home Affairs offices SABC News reports that foreign nationals queuing outside the Home Affairs offices in Marabastad in Pretoria say they are devastated by an incident on Tuesday in which one person died in a stampede. More than 20 people were injured. “Police can confirm that one person died and more than 20 sustained injuries and were taken to hospital, following a stampede at one of the government buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday police have since opened an inquest docket for investigation,” Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, Gauteng Police, indicated. Meanwhile, Bongani Mkhwanazi from the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) stated: “The ADF calls on the South African authorities to conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation into this incident, addressing not only the causes of the stampede but also the broader systemic issues plaguing refugee reception centres. These centres, intended to provide refuge have instead become sites of desperation due to overcrowding, long queues, and inadequate facilities. The ADF stands in solidarity with the affected families and remains committed to advocating for the rights and well-being of all migrants and asylum seekers in South Africa. Now is the time for action and reform.” The Marabastad Home Affairs office is one of five offices in the country that deals with refugees and asylum seekers. Each day is designated for different nationals. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Horisani Sithole at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
SA’s Thungela Resources teaches the Aussies how to improve their mine safety performance Miningmx reports that in a surprising development, South African coal producer Thungela Resources is teaching the Australian mining industry a thing or two about mine safety judging by the safety improvements at the group’s Ensham mine in Queensland. Thungela bought Ensham from Japanese owner Idemitsu last year for R4bn and has just reported a significant improvement in the mine’s safety performance for the six months to end-June. That’s surprising because – from the late 1990’s – the Australian mining industry was held up as the example to be followed by the SA mining sector in its attempts to improve the safety performance on SA mines. Thungela CEO July Ndlovu indicated: “In Australia, the TRCFR (total recordable case frequency rate) significantly improved to 11.64 (in the six months to June) from 22.01 for the six months ended June 2023 reflecting proactive efforts to align Ensham’s safety systems with Thungela’s work practices where appropriate.” Noting that the Australians in Queensland were probably the pioneers of risk management in safety, he went on to comment: “What the SA mining industry has done is to understand that there is more to delivering safe outcomes than just mere systems and risk management. Culture is just as important. The creation of a culture where people chose to work safely even when there is no-one looking. That integration is probably the lesson that we take to Australia – to take the next step that everybody goes home safely every day – creating a workplace that is free of not only fatalities but life-changing injuries too.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brendan Ryan at Miningmx
Heineken SA approaches Labour Court to interdict strike at Gqeberha plant over shift changes Fin24 reports that Heineken Beverages SA has approached the Labour Court to interdict ongoing strike action at its Gqeberha plant in the Eastern Cape. This follows more than 100 workers embarking on a strike on last Friday amid frustrations over changes in work shifts and unpaid overtime. According to Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) member Siyathemba Nothununu, negotiations between the union and Heineken reached a stalemate after the beverage company changed from a two-shift schedule to a three-shift system. According to Nothununu, workers were previously able to work a 44-hour work week from Monday to Friday and received overtime and double pay for Saturday and Sunday work. Now, workers have been split into three working groups every 24 hours, with reserve workers being left on standby for week and weekend work. Nothununu said those who worked on the weekend have not been paid overtime, with workers now demanding a change back to the previous shift schedule. "We used to work from 07:15 to 17:00, Monday to Thursday, and then 07:15 to 14:30 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Now, we have a four-day compressed work week from Monday to Thursday," said Nothununu, adding that the shift changes had been done with minimal consultation. Heineken refuted that it had not engaged extensively on the proposed changes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Na'ilah Ebrahim at Fin24 (registration required) Heineken’s R6bn brewery heads to Cato Ridge in preference to Dube Trade Port Sunday World reports that the Dolphin Coast on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) will be dealt a heavy blow as Heineken Beverages, the world’s second-largest beer producer, looks elsewhere in the province to construct its brewery worth more than R6-billion. Initially, indications were that the multinational corporation had agreed that its new brewery would be located next to the Dube Trade Port, an economic zone, a stone’s throw away from the King Shaka International Airport. But according to insiders, the company had a change of heart on the location because it wanted a site where the project would quickly get off the ground. “What would have hindered the company from establishing itself near the airport is mainly the rigorous application process that comes with setting up a plant. Remember, this should be a five-year project. The sites which have been identified meet all the necessary requirements such as water use licence and environmental impact assessment” said an insider. Cato Ridge, near Pietermaritzburg, is apparently now the preferred destination for the brewery. The area is part of eThekwini metro’s N3 corridor development poised for massive catalyst projects over the next few years. The winning site will be announced in September. Heineken Beverages was formed in 2023 following the merger of Heineken South Africa, Distell and Namibia Breweries Limited. Siboniso Duma, the leader of government business in KZN, commented that while the investment heralded a new dawn in boosting the economy and driving job prospects, the government would ensure that corporate social responsibility was not relegated to the peripheries. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sandile Motha at Sunday World
SA farm jobs remain well above the long-term averages Columnist Wandile Sihlobo writes that the effects of the recent El Niño-induced midsummer drought are starting to show in SA’s agricultural jobs data. For example, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey data shows that employment in primary agriculture was down 5% quarter-on-quarter to 896,000 in the second quarter of 2024. From an annual basis perspective, the performance was also weak, though up 0.2% from the second quarter of 2023. Still, the primary agricultural employment of 896,000 people remained well above the long-term jobs of 799,000. Some subsectors that showed a decline in employment included field crops, livestock, and forestry. The job performance in these subsectors was unsurprising as the midsummer drought had notably affected them, specifically field crops. Moreover, the livestock industry faced relatively higher feed costs and lingering animal disease, which all explained subdued job data in the subsector. The Western Cape, Northern Cape, North West, and Gauteng were the provinces that showed significant quarterly job losses. Meanwhile, other provinces showed mild improvements, which was insufficient to change the overall picture of a decline in employment in SA’s agriculture. Read the full original of Wandile Sihlobo’s column and listen to a podcast at Financial Mail. Read too, Lufafa farmers want farming skills to be compulsory in schools, at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
HSBC mulls selling its SA businesses Bloomberg News reports that HSBC is weighing a sale of its South African businesses as the lender focuses on Asian markets, according to persons with knowledge of the matter. The SA branch business and securities unit have apparently drawn interest from bidders that include banks from the region as well as China and the United Arab Emirates. The details of any potential deals have yet to be finalised and there is no guarantee that any transactions will go ahead. HSBC declined to comment. The London-based bank has been operating in SA since 1995. HSBC Africa’s principal activities are commercial banking, global banking and global markets. The company recently sold its retail and business banking units in Mauritius to Absa, which means a sale of its SA business would see HSBC largely exiting sub-Saharan Africa. HSBC which has businesses in more than 50 markets, has been seeking ways to further cut costs and complexity under newly appointed CEO Georges Elhedery. Efforts are also underway to cut the bank’s expense bill, with moves to slow hiring and rein in travel and entertainment costs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loni Prinsloo & Ambereen Choudhury at Fin24 As Absa’s Rautenbach bows out, Black Business Council ‘disappointed’ at ‘revolving door of white CEOs’ Daily Maverick writes about the buzz in the markets about the announced early retirement of Absa chief executive Arrie Rautenbach (59), who agreed “after engagements” with the Absa board, to take early retirement from the group, effective from 15 April 2025. Practically, this means the CEO will cease to be the group chief executive officer and an executive director of the Absa Group and Absa Bank with effect from 15 October this year, followed by a six-month contractual notice period which will be served as garden leave. The Public Investment Corporation (PIC), a 5% shareholder, had objected to Rautenbach’s appointment in 2022, saying it had expected the board to have placed the required focus on transformation in the process of recruiting a new CEO. The bank has faced significant challenges over recent years, losing market share to competitors. The Black Business Council of SA (BBC) said it was “disappointed” to see the bank had not appointed a black interim CEO, instead opting to appoint Charles Russon, who will now be the sixth CEO of Absa (on an acting or permanent basis) since 2019. “This demonstrates in clear terms that Absa does not have a proper succession strategy and plan that includes a pipeline of possible succession candidates. The revolving door of white CEOs at Absa is very worrying to the [BBC] and other progressive institutions that embrace transformation,” the council said on Monday. This follows criticism in May when Rautenbach made an internal announcement (that was not well received) to the effect that he would replace Saviour Chibiya as head of regional operations in Africa with Ravin Dajee, who was head of operations in Mauritius. Other moves that were announced at the same time included Deon Raju’s appointment as group financial director, replacing Jason Quinn; Rajal Vaidya as interim group chief risk officer and Christine Wu as chief executive of the everyday banking business unit. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Neesa Moodley at Daily Maverick. Read too, The job of Absa CEO is becoming an increasingly hard sell, at City Press
At 4.6% in July, consumer inflation rate slows to lowest level in three years BL Premium reports that SA’s consumer inflation rate slowed to 4.6% in July, the lowest level in three years. The data aligns with the SA Reserve Bank’s (SARB’s) goal of stabilising inflation at its 4.5% target midpoint, and supports expectations for monetary policy easing in the coming months. Capital Economics economist David Omojomolo noted: “The larger-than-expected decline in SA’s headline inflation rate to 4.6% year on year in July strengthens the case for the Reserve Bank to start its easing cycle, with a 25 basis-point cut to 8.00% at its next meeting in September.” The July inflation rate, down from 5.1% in June, reflects a broad slowdown in price growth across key categories including food, transportation and housing. Stats SA reported on Wednesday that food inflation eased to 4.5% from 4.6% in June, with notable price reductions in staples such as maize meal, although bread and cereal prices increased. Transport inflation also slowed to 4.2% in July from 5.5% the previous month, driven by a second consecutive drop in fuel prices. In contrast, the housing and utilities sector saw a 2.6% acceleration in July, contributing to a 5.3% annual rise. Although tariff hikes for electricity, water and property rates were lower than in previous years, electricity tariffs remained the fastest-growing, up 12.1% in 2024 so far. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nompilo Goba at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Inflation cools to lowest level in three years, at Fin24 (registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
National Minimum Wage Commission invites stakeholder inputs for 2025 determination Engineering News reports that the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission has invited stakeholders with an interest in the NMW to make representations on possible adjustments in the policy instrument. The commission is conducting an investigation into possible adjustments to the NMW and will submit its recommendations to Employment and Labour Minister Nomakosazhana Meth later this year. The closing date for submission of written comments or representations concerning possible adjustments to the NMW is 30 September. Written representations will be forwarded to the Minister of Employment and Labour together with the Commission’s report to decide on the 2025 determination, NMW Commission chairperson Professor Imraan Valodia indicated. The current NMW is R27.58. Written inputs should be sent to the Department of Employment and Labour Employment Standards Directorate, Private Bag X117, Pretoria, 0001 or to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. on or before the closing date. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Engineering News. See too, National Minimum Wage changes for 2025 are coming, at BusinessTech
CEO of top KZN private school facing domestic violence allegations suspends his wife from her position at the school News24 reports that the CEO of a leading private school group in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), who faces allegations of domestic abuse involving his wife and children, has suspended his partner from her senior position at the school. The estranged wife was suspended on 13 August on full pay and may be charged and required to attend a disciplinary hearing. She has been instructed not to report for duty until the board has decided she can return and has also been forbidden from contacting employees. The husband cannot be named to protect the identities of his wife and children. The woman's lawyer, Rudi Pottas, commented: "My client deems the suspension as a kneejerk reaction to the criminal, domestic violence and divorce proceedings." A KZN police spokesperson indicated that Umhlali police were investigating an assault case against the man. The man's wife also applied for a protection order at the KwaDukuza Magistrate's Court, which was granted. In her affidavit submitted to the police, the wife alleged her husband assaulted her after accusing her of having an affair and erected cameras in their home to monitor her every move. He also allegedly threatened to shoot their elder son between the legs after he tried to defend his brother. In his affidavit, the 16-year old boy claimed his father often beat and threatened him. Two former employees described the CEO as a controlling and abusive figure, contributing to a toxic work environment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24 (registration required) Private school’s head of sport suspended after exposé on his misconduct at previous school A top private school suspended its head of sport with immediate effect after News24 published revelations about his previous school finding him guilty of misconduct and firing him. Hours after the story was published on Friday, Pinnacle College Founders Hill in Modderfontein, Gauteng, which is owned by private education group ADvTECH, informed parents of Richard Dannhauser's suspension "until such time as we can fully investigate the matter". Dannhauser, who was the former director of cricket at Sutherland High School in Centurion, resigned in March before he could face several charges of misconduct. But despite his resignation, Sutherland High School held a disciplinary hearing against him. On 4 April 2024, the school informed him that his employment had been terminated after he was found guilty on some of the charges laid against him, which included sexual harassment, assault, inappropriate behaviour in the presence of pupils during practice, and general inappropriate conduct towards pupils. The executive head of Pinnacle College Founders Hill, Anthony Jansen van Rensburg, said they had contacted Sutherland High School when Dannhauser applied for the head of sport position, but "no issues were flagged in the process" by Sutherland High School. Background checks were done on Dannhauser, including police clearance, MIE [managed integrity evaluation] checks and reference checks. "We are disappointed and concerned that important information was not shared with us and no, we would not have appointed him had we known he was dismissed," Jansen van Rensburg stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscriber access only)
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