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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Most of Imatu’s regions accept facilitators’ proposed wage hikes for municipal workers BL Premium reports that according to Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) president Keith Swanepoel, the union’s members have largely accepted a proposal brokered by two facilitators for above-inflation wage increases for municipal employees. “Our regions are accepting the facilitators’ proposal. Most regions are saying, yes, yes, yes, they will accept the proposal. However, our mandate seeking process will be completed by Friday,” Swanepoel advised on Wednesday. This as Imatu and the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) embarked on a countrywide mandate-seeking process after the completion of wage talks at the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC). Imatu, Samwu and the SA Local Government Association (Salga), the employer body representing the country’s 257 municipalities, held three rounds of talks in July and August, but could not reach a pay deal. In their subsequent proposal, dated 15 August, the facilitators proposed a five-year wage deal for increases of 6% in the first year, 4.5% in July 2024 and an additional 1.5% increase effective in March 2025. From 2025/26 to 2026/27, the facilitators proposed an increase of CPI plus 0.75%, and CPI plus 1.25% in the outer years of the agreement. In the event CPI is less than 4% workers shall receive a 4% wage increase (from years two to five) and if it is more than 7%, the wage increase shall be deemed 7%. Samwu’s Papikie Mohale said on Wednesday: “We are in the process of taking a mandate from our members on the facilitators’ proposal. Thereafter, the union’s national executive committee will meet to consolidate the mandate. It’s then that we will communicate to the SALGBC regarding whether our members are accepting or rejecting the proposed settlement.” The unions have until 2 September to communicate their decisions to the SALGBC. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Driver in Mzansi Express bus crash that killed ten passengers ‘new in the job’ and not familiar with road IOL News reports that at least 10 passengers died in an Mzansi Express bus accident which took place on the N1 freeway near Makhado (previously Louis Trichardt) in Limpopo province just before midnight on Tuesday. The bus was travelling from Zimbabwe, destined for Joburg. All the deceased, five males and five females, were reportedly foreign nationals. Phuti Lekganyane, acting spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety, indicated: “According to reports, the bus drove over a round-about – the last traffic circle from Makhado towards Polokwane – at high speed, lost control and overturned, killing and injuring its passengers in the process.” The injured passengers were taken to various hospitals in Makhado. Provincial transport authorities in Limpopo said the bus driver involved in the crash was reportedly new in his job, and not familiar with the road. Meanwhile, Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violet Mathye sent messages of condolences to the families of the deceased. The MEC also urged motorists to be alert of their surroundings and to drive with caution at all times. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jonisayi Maromo at IOL News. Lees ook, Tien sterf in Limpopo-ongeluk, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mercedes-Benz South Africa gets new boss to replace Mark Raine TimesLIVE reports that Mark Raine will step down from his role as co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA) and executive director of Mercedes-Benz Cars on Saturday. He will be taking up an opportunity to oversee the responsibility for direct sales, omni-channel commerce and data management in Stuttgart, Germany. Claudius Steinhoff, head of marketing and sales Mercedes-Benz Cars Singapore and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Singapore since October 2020, will take over Raine's roles on 1 September. Steinhoff started his career with Mercedes-Benz in 2008. Since 2011 he has held roles in treasury and product management and as an executive assistant to the head of region overseas. “Mark's three-year tenure with us has been nothing short of exemplary, characterised by unwavering dedication and visionary leadership,” said MBSA board chair Wilfried Porth. He went on to state: “It is my pleasure to welcome Claudius Steinhoff to the leadership team at Mercedes-Benz South Africa. Claudius brings vast experience and knowledge which will ensure continuity in advancing the strategic objectives for Mercedes-Benz Cars locally.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard at TimesLIVE
AG says municipalities that employ consultants to prepare financial statements not getting long-term value EWN reports that Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke says that municipalities using consultants to prepare their financial statements are not getting long-term value for money. Tabling the 2022/23 audit outcomes for municipalities in parliament on Wednesday, Maluleke revealed expenditure of R1.3 billion on consultants. Although there had been a R300 million drop in expenditure on consultants over the last financial year, the AG said it was still too high. The highest expenditure was raked up by Limpopo municipalities at more than R279 million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and the North West. The Western Cape spent only R41 million on consultants, but achieved the most clean audits of 26 out of 34 country wide. "The municipalities with clean audits still use consultants but to a much lesser extent, they use them for specific technical issues. The ones that over rely and spend the greatest amounts of money are the ones with disclaimer audit opinions, the adverse and the qualified," Maluleke pointed out. She elaborated: "The support that’s offered will always have a very short-term benefit in that at least audit outcomes look better, but then underneath it, we are not building the capacity that municipalities require to run their affairs." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN
Soweto residents protest Joburg mayor's JMPD foreign hiring proposal, hand over 200 CVs News24 reports that City of Johannesburg executive mayor Dada Morero received around 200 CVs after Soweto residents marched to his office on Wednesday morning. The marchers protested after he made comments over the weekend that the City might consider using documented foreign nationals to help crime fighters breach the language barriers when dealing with foreign nationals. The comments sparked outrage from unemployed residents who said the mayor should hire residents before he hired foreign nationals. Morero backtracked on Monday after a wrapping over the knuckles by the ANC's regional executive committee (REC). He initially made the proposal to address the language barrier issues experienced by the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD). He explained further on Wednesday that he did not say that the city would employ foreign nationals but rather that the city needed to find ways to deal with different languages. Morero was not at the handover, but his office took the box of CVs. Later he commented: "The unemployment rate is too high, but we do not have positions open for [the protesters]." Many of Wednesday’s protesters were young, highly qualified individuals who have not been able to find work as the country faces an almost 50% youth (people aged 15 to 34) unemployment rate. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Patrick at News24 Former Joburg safety MMCs say don't hire foreigners, rather fix JMPD with specialised units TimesLIVE reports that former MMCs of public safety in the City of Johannesburg believe the establishment of specialised units for different types of crime within the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) could be a step in the right direction. This was the sentiment expressed by David Tembe and Michael Sun, who have both previously led the city's public safety portfolio. This followed new mayor Dada Morero's suggestion, since retracted, that the city might consider recruiting qualified and properly documented foreigners into the JMPD to help with bridging the language barriers which frustrate police when investigating crimes involving foreigners. While some hailed the proposal, the former MMC Tembe, who was JMPD police chief before his stint at public safety, said the real problem was that police were using what he termed a “fishnet” to fight crime. “They go and surround innocent people, irritating them, instead of using what we call a spear to target suspects, for example, who are dealing in drugs. You need to have specialised units like in New York for different types of crimes,” he stated. Sun said that without criticising the mayor, in his view Morero’s utterances were not thought-through and provoked many unnecessary emotions, especially in a country with high unemployment. Yet, Prof Loren Landau from the African Centre for Migration & Society said the mayor's proposal was fascinating. “There's clearly a need to reach out to all residents. Police forces in Germany, the US, the UK and elsewhere have done this by hiring people who look more like those they are serving,” he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phathu Luvhengo at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Solidarity files complaint against the Legal Practice Council over failure to comply with PAIA request Maroela Media reports that the Solidarity Law Network has filed a complaint with the Information Regulator (IR) against the Legal Practice Council (LPC) for failure to comply with a request brought in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). According to Riaan Visser, head of the Law Network, the request that was directed to the LPC earlier this year, focused on aspects of the LPC’s decision-making process to do away with Afrikaans as language for exams. In its correspondence, Solidarity’s Law Network also emphasised the urgency of the request. Visser said the Law Network was disappointed as the requests and numerous discussions with the LPC have merely fallen on deaf ears. By filing its complaint with the IR, the Solidarity Law Network wants the LPC to comply with the PAIA request for all documentation related to the matter, including records, minutes and agendas of meetings, as well as a comprehensive list of stakeholders consulted during the process to phase Afrikaans out. “The Solidarity Law Network still wants to determine on what grounds the LPC has based its decision-making. At this stage, the LPC is still withholding information even after the PAIA request,” Visser pointed out. He went on to note: “The ultimate aim of this complaint is to ensure respect for the interests of all parties involved, while promoting the constitutional principles of language diversity and access to rights.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard in Afrikaans at Maroela Media
Department of Health gears up to publish first NHI regulations BusinessLive reports that the Department of Health (DOH) expects within the next month to release its first set of draft regulations for the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act for public comment. NHI is the ANC’s plan for achieving universal health coverage. The Act paves the way for the creation of a government-controlled NHI fund that will purchase health services from accredited public and private providers. President Cyril Ramaphosa assented to the legislation on 15 May, but the Act has yet to be brought into effect as none of its sections have been promulgated. Addressing MPs in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, the DOH’s deputy director-general for NHI, Nicholas Crisp, outlined some of the preparations under way for the scheme. These include drafting regulations for sections 12 to 30 of the Act, which cover the appointment of the board of the NHI fund. The proposed regulations would be gazetted for public comment after the relevant sections of the Act had been promulgated, and interested parties would have three months to comment, Crisp advised. Once the board was established, it would appoint a CEO and set up the requisite administrative structures. Funds would follow the creation of these functions for the NHI fund, a process that could take up to three years, Crisp indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Former FNB employee jailed for an effective 15 years for stealing R5 million from ‘dormant’ account IOL News reports that a former FNB employee has been jailed to an effective 15 years for fraud, corruption and violating the Cyber Crimes Act. Sifiso Ndlovu, 24, was sentenced in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday. He worked as a financial administrator. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Ndlovu exploited his position to transfer over R5 million from a dormant account into the accounts of his accomplices, who subsequently transferred money into his account. This took place between June 2022 and July 2022. Ndlovu accessed the FNB mainframe system using his credentials, updated customer remarks, and printed documents, despite being absent from work. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for each offence, with the court ordering the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in a total effective sentence of 15 years. In aggravation of sentence, the state argued that Ndlovu's actions undermined the trust essential for commerce to function, as people relied on banks to safeguard their assets. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jolene Marriah-Maharaj at IOL News. Read too, Former FNB financial administrator gets hefty sentence for stealing R5m, at TimesLIVE
Amid VBS Bank corruption claims, Ramaphosa calls on justice minister Thembi Simelane to explain herself TimesLIVE reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has formally requested a briefing from justice and constitutional development minister Thembi Simelane following media reports alleging corruption during her time as mayor of Polokwane. It was reported this week that Simelane may have improperly received funds from VBS Mutual Bank. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa had noted with concern media reports containing allegations of corruption against Simelane and had requested a detailed report and briefing from the minister on the matter. According to the reports, Simelane received a loan exceeding R500,000 from a company allegedly involved in illicit transactions with VBS Mutual Bank. The bank, which collapsed in 2018, left thousands of depositors with substantial financial losses and its downfall was attributed to extensive corruption. DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said the minister must be investigated by the National Prosecuting Authority. ActionSA’s Athol Trollip wants the public protector to investigate the matter. The EFF said Simelane’s resignation was the only appropriate course of action to preserve the integrity of the justice system and to allow an independent and impartial investigation into her actions. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Modiegi Mashamaite at TimesLIVE. Read too, Madonsela defends Simelane, saying ‘Let us not condemn without evidence’, at TimesLIVE. En ook, Ramaphosa soek antwoorde by justisieminister, by Maroela Media New MK Party MP Brian Molefe says there are no facts to support corruption claims against him EWN reports that former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe says there are no facts to support corruption claims against him. On Wednesday, he and other former state-owned enterprises (SOEs) heads who were sworn in as parliamentarians for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. He dismissed state capture as a concept conjured up by the World Bank and used to target him. It was the second time that Molefe joined the parliamentary benches. His first stint as an MP was a very brief one in 2017, when former President Jacob Zuma was believed to want Molefe to place Pravin Gordhan as the then-finance minister. Molefe has accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of refusing to allow him a lawyer of his choice to defend him in the criminal cases he is facing. A trial date for a case in which Molefe and his new parliamentary colleague, Siyabonga Gama, are accused of corruption during their tenure at Transnet is due to be set in October. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN. Read too, Former SOE executives to be sworn in as MK Party MPs, at TimesLIVE. En ook, Molefe, Montana, Manyi, Gama nou óók LP’s, by Maroela Media North West school principal suspended for allegedly accepting bribe to appoint teacher News24 reports that the North West Department of Education has placed the principal of Matlape Primary School, in Coligny, on precautionary suspension due to allegations that he allegedly accepted a bribe to appoint a teacher. The DOE said it received a tipoff from a whistleblower, who alleged possible corrupt activities at the school, prompting an investigation. A criminal case has not been opened. In March, a similar case was reported in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, where a circuit manager and a school principal were placed on precautionary suspension. The allegations involved the potential soliciting or facilitating of money in exchange for influence in the recruitment process. The SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) condemned the alleged actions by senior school management in some schools to solicit or accept bribes in exchange for jobs. Sadtu's provincial spokesperson, George Themba, said the allegations tainted the profession and gave teachers a bad name. "This, in our view, is tantamount to corruption, and we cannot condone it. It is tarnishing the image of the profession and it is highly unacceptable. There are people who have skills, but don't have money. Then it means their chances [of employment] are limited,” he pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Sibiya at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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