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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
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UIF online services down as new service provider interdicted Fin24 reports that crucial Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) digital services ground to a halt after the North Gauteng High Court granted an interim interdict on 30 August blocking an unnamed service provider from rendering online portal services for the UIF with immediate effect. The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) issued a statement on Monday announcing that key UIF online systems had been disrupted by the ruling and that extra capacity had been added at UIF physical service points to mitigate the challenges. The DEL said that the uFiling, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, Virtual Office as well as the UIF Covid19 TERS systems were currently disrupted. UIF commissioner Teboho Maruping advised that the interdict against the unnamed service provider had been brought by a losing service provider. The new service provider was appointed after the contract of the previous provider expired. Maruping did not provide guidance on when the systems would be restored, but said that a "sprint and agile approach" to the process was being followed. Attempting to log into the uFiling platform, which is used to declare monthly UIF returns and contributions, results in a message that says the platform is down for scheduled maintenance. DEL Minister Nomakhosazana Meth called for patience while the systems were being restored and said: “An announcement will be communicated to the public in due course, upon the resumption of the online services.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by William Brederode at Fin24 (registration required)
Ten seasonal farmworkers killed in Monday’s Van Rhyns Pass bus crash, with 29 still hospitalised News24 reports that according to Western Cape police, 10 people died after a bus carrying about 42 seasonal farmworkers swerved off Van Rhyns Pass in the Western Cape shortly after 17:00 on Monday. The bus was carrying the workers from Keimoes, in the Northern Cape, to Ceres. Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said: "We can confirm that 29 victims were transported to nearby hospitals for medical treatment while 10 victims were declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel." Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident. Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation executive director Billy Claasen said the farmworkers were from several towns in the Northern Cape. He added: "It is alleged that the driver lost control of the bus and rolled over the barriers. It is alleged that these workers were on their way by bus to farms in Ceres." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisalee Solomons at News24. Read too, Van Rhyns Pass crash victims are Northern Cape construction workers, claims government, at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Amatola Water strike, which left several Eastern Cape households without water, called off News24 reports that Amatola Water workers who embarked on strike action leaving several households without water in the Buffalo City Metro, will be returning to work. Amatola Water's Amanda Skritch said the strike was called off on Tuesday evening, following a meeting between labour and management. Several water treatment plants of the East London-headquartered water utility were left unmanned after the 400-strong workforce downed tools on Monday. Mdantsane, Ntabozuko, Debe Nek and Keiskammahoek were reportedly without water since Monday afternoon. Workers complained about maladministration by the management and the board, claiming fellow workers had been suspended without following due processes. Victor Tololo, SA Municipal Workers' Union shop steward, earlier claimed that some of their grievances, which dated back to two years ago, had not yet been resolved. "Our grievances vary, and include our demand for fair compensation for fair work," he indicated. Additionally, vacancies had not been filled for quite some time and the employees did not know why management was taking longer than usual to fill posts. Skritch said: “Amatola Water management and labour had engaged and the issues raised by employees were addressed.” Tololo confirmed the issues had been resolved following a meeting with management. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi at News24 Security guards picket at another Cape Town hospital over salary payment issues GroundUp reports that more security guards employed by Golden Security Services (GSS) downed tools on Tuesday, this time at the Heideveld Day Hospital, over salary disputes. On Friday, about 80 security guards stationed at Groote Schuur Hospital, also employed by GSS, picketed payments that they claimed was owed to them. They had been on strike for five days. On Tuesday, a similar strike took place at Heideveld Day Hospital. About 30 security officers in uniform gathered at the gates. One senior security officer said: “Golden Security Services keeps paying us on different dates, paying our salaries in short, and then tells us that we need to hand in payment queries [forms] if we want our outstanding amounts … I am owed R3,500.” GSS operations managers Nkosinathi Sopazi and Monde Maqula said salary payments were made on 24 August but did not yet reflect in everyone’s bank accounts. “On the issue of pay queries, I will agree and disagree. Some do have legitimate pay queries, but some pay queries are because they do not understand that there are deductions,” said Sopazi. On some of the payslips under ‘illegal strike’, certain guards had R1,000 deducted from their wages. Sopazi indicated: “If you say the company owes you money, you must submit a pay query and if the company made a mistake, we would definitely acknowledge that and pay.” According to the provincial health department: “The matter has again been discussed with the relevant security company and some engagements with their staff have taken place. Our teams have been able to make temporary arrangements to ensure the safety of our staff, patients and visitors.” Security guards at Mowbray Maternity Clinic working for GSS are also disputing their wages, but are not on strike Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mary-Anne Gontsana, Tori Newby & Ihsaan Haffejee at GroundUp
August salaries at Aussie-owned Tormin mine on West Coast ‘delayed’ due to ‘severe cash flow shortage’ GroundUp reports that the controversial Australian-owned company that mines heavy minerals on beaches near Lutzville on the West Coast has hit major operational and financial problems. Mineral Sands Resources (MSR), which owns the Tormin mine, has appointed business rescue practitioners (BRPs) to help it pay creditors and stave off bankruptcy. Production problems started last year and things got worse in July this year when the MV Ultra Galaxy cargo vessel ran aground off one of the West Coast beaches where MSR holds mining rights. The vessel spilled 500 tons of fuel oil and its full cargo of fertiliser into the sea before breaking up. Some of the beaches in the vicinity, not currently being mined, were polluted. MSR is 50% owned by Australian parent company Mineral Commodities Ltd (MRC) that has also run into financial difficulties and has voluntarily stopped trading on the Australian stock exchange. MRC cited the MV Ultra Galaxy wreck as a factor in its problems and said it could no longer make any payments to MSR. In a notice from the BRPs dated 20 August, all staff were told that the company did not have available cash and that payment of their August salaries would be delayed. Liam Royce, one of three BRPs, told staff they were negotiating with buyers of the company’s products, “so that money can start flowing back into the company”. But the company owed “a lot of money”, he said. Royce added: “We understand that this is a very difficult situation for our employees and that we cannot give you a clear answer on when normal operations will resume but we hope that we will be in a position to do so in the next week.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by John Yeld at GroundUp
Billion-rand plant north of Durban to create some 600 jobs within next five years Northglen News reports that Dube TradePort (DTP) will soon be home to a R1.1-billion automotive-components manufacturing facility. The launch was held at the facility’s TradeZone 2 on 22 August 2024, marking a milestone for foreign direct investment in KwaZulu-Natal. Construction of the facility has commenced, and the company aims to resume its manufacturing operations in June 2025. Speaking at the launch of the joint venture manufacturing operation between Toyota Tsusho Africa (TTAF) and Ogihara Thailand Corporation, MEC for Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Reverend Musa Zondi, said: “We are exceptionally pleased that after an extensive site selection process, Ogihara SA decided to locate its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Dube TradePort’s TradeZone 2.” Ogihara SA, the single largest investment secured by DTP, occupies 32,000 m2 at TradeZone 2 – inclusive of a manufacturing and assembly plant that was relocated from Thailand. The plant will produce pressed steel components for supply to Toyota South Africa Manufacturing. Ogihara SA is one of seven private sector investors secured for Dube TradeZone 2, with a total private sector investment value of close to R2 billion and an expected job creation of around 600 within the next five years. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Post Office tells MPs it’s facing 'day zero' as soon as October and warns of liquidation unless it gets cash injection EWN reports that the SA Post Office (SAPO) says it's not out of the woods and is facing "day zero" when it will run out of funds, putting it at risk of liquidation. The state-owned entity told MPs that "day zero" could arrive as early as October unless it received a financial injection. SAPO was briefing Parliament's Communications and Digital Technologies portfolio committee on the business rescue process and its financial state. But there were said to be "green shoots", and the Post Office was claimed to be sitting with a "positive" net asset value. SAPO was on the brink of being liquidated last year before it was placed into business rescue. While there have been slight improvements since then, acting CEO Fathima Gany said that without any further capital from the fiscus, they would only have cash until the end of next month. Gany warned of the consequences of liquidation and indicated: "All jobs will be lost and business operations will cease, except only those operations that will be needed to wipe up the company." The committee was not happy with the SAPO report and the fact that the issue of "day zero" was raised just a month before it could happen. A follow-up meeting is now expected with the committee before the October cut-off. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Babalo Ndenze at EWN
Digital push by Home Affairs is improving visa process TimesLIVE reports that in a significant move to modernise its services, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced a shift to electronic delivery of visa waiver outcomes, aimed at to expediting turnaround times. “In the first phase of the rollout, the outcome of waiver applications for holders of Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) will be sent digitally, effective immediately. Over time, this digital-first approach will be extended to other applicants in the visa and permit regime,” said DHA spokesperson Siya Qoza. This transition means applicants will no longer need to visit a VFS branch to collect physical copies of their waiver letters. Beginning on 29 August, ZEP holders have been receiving their waiver letters digitally in PDF format via e-mail. This digital approach will soon be expanded to include all applicants, streamlining the process and facilitating easier submission of mainstream visa applications. DHA Minister Leon Schreiber said: “Through this change we have been able to process 60,582 outstanding ZEP waiver applications, many of which date to 2022. Another 22,529 ZEP waiver applications are set to be processed soon, further reducing the backlog.” Schreiber emphasised the broader significance of this change, saying: “While this step on its own may be a small one, it is meaningful as part of our larger quest to clamp down on corruption and to enhance the efficiency of services by transforming home affairs into a digital-first department.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Modiegi Mashamaite at BusinessLive. Read too, Schreiber promises no more long queues, off-line systems at Home Affairs as digital move beckons, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Former Prasa head of engineering Daniel Mthimkhulu sentenced to 15 years for falsifying his qualifications Fin24 reports that the former head of engineering at the Passenger Rail Association of SA (Prasa), Daniel Mthimkhulu, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for falsifying his qualifications and other documents. In early 2022, Mthimkhulu was found guilty on three counts of fraud for falsifying his qualifications and for submitting a fake offer of employment from a German company to drive his salary higher. On Tuesday, the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Johannesburg sentenced him to an effective imprisonment term of 15 years. On the first count of fraud, Mthimkhulu was sentenced to 15 years. On the two other counts of fraud, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for each. These will run concurrently with one another and with the 15-year prison term. Mthimkhulu was proven to have misrepresented his qualifications to Prasa after claiming to have a master's degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and a doctorate in engineering management from the Technische Universität München in Germany. Mthimkhulu was involved in massive capital projects within Prasa with his lack of qualifications placing all the projects at considerable risk. These projects included the procurement of locomotives from Spain, which proved too tall to operate safely on the rail network. The Johannesburg High Court on 5 March 2024 attached both immovable and movable properties belonging to Mthimkhulu and further ordered that he pay R5.8 million to Prasa to recoup the proceeds of his crimes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24 (registration required). Read too, Bogus Prasa engineer Daniel Mtimkulu slapped with 15-year jail term for fraud, at TimesLIVE. En ook, Oud-Prasa-hoë oor bedrog gevonnis, by Maroela Media
EFF says municipal workers won’t be able to make two-pot retirement withdrawals as contributions haven’t been paid in The Citizen reports that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has slammed municipalities that owe contributions to the pension funds of municipal workers. This comes after a Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) report highlighted that 172 municipalities owed an amount of more than R1 billion in pension fund contributions. EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said what was worrying was that these municipalities were deducting the pension contributions from the workers’ salaries. “This blatantly reckless behaviour is a ticking time bomb that places municipal workers at financial risk,” she warned. Mathys pointed out that with the implementation of the two-pot retirement system, some workers in affected municipalities might not be able to have access to their funds because of the non-payment of the contributions. “As a result, there is a dangerous crisis pending that will affect the working class, because there is no money in their pension funds,” she noted. Mathys said EFF councillors in municipalities would be taking steps to address the non-payment of pensions in various municipalities. “We will instruct all of our public representatives in local municipalities to write letters to the municipal managers in local government, to outline whether they have been making the required monthly contributions to the municipal pension funds of workers,” she indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Itumeleng Mafisa at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Motsoaledi is taking the country backwards with NHI and race, says Solidarity Trade union Solidarity issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the “dangerous statements” of Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi in which he used race “to try to gain support for the government’s unworkable National Health Insurance (NHI).” Among his statements to an international audience of pharmacists in Cape Town, Motsoaledi compared criticism of the NHI to the apartheid era’s scaremongering about the “swart gevaar (black peril)”. He also said it was similar to the time when white people stocked up on groceries and candles for when black people came into power – and how afterwards they were “shocked to see that Nelson Mandela was a human being like them; perhaps even more human than them”. According to Theuns du Buisson, economic researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), these words are irresponsible and dishonest attempts to appease an international audience about the NHI. He pointed out that Motsoaledi conveniently omitted that the majority of South Africans who belonged to medical aid funds, and who were opposed to the NHI, were indeed black people. “Many of the groups that spoke out against the NHI are in no way representative of white communities,” Du Buisson noted. Solidarity also asked why straightforward questions regarding the NHI were not answered by the minister. “We want to know where the evidence or the studies are that show the NHI actually is workable. Where is the evidence that it is affordable? The right steps were not followed in the drafting of the legislation,” Solidarity put forward. Read the full original of Solidarity’s press statement on this matter at Politicsweb Read too, ‘It's raised fire and fury': NHI fearmongering like apartheid 'swart gevaar' doctrine, says Motsoaledi, at News24 (registration required)
Suspended public servants can no longer stay home on full pay as government looks to use their skills elsewhere News24 reports that suspended government officials will no longer sit idly at home while they continue to get paid, according to Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Minister Mzamo Buthelezi. His department is taking a new directive for discipline management, including the transfer of suspended officials to other departments or units. Buthelezi announced the move while launching Integrated Public Service Month in Pretoria on Monday. He said: “(With) these transfers, the department wants to ensure that while every senior and qualified and competent official is undergoing disciplinary processes, they don't just sit at home on suspension but they are transferred to other departments or units for them to use their skills and qualifications to benefit that unit while they are on suspension.” He added: "Our new directive on discipline management encourages timely hearings and precautionary transfers to ensure compliance with applicable timeframes for resolution processes." Buthelezi said several departments had been selected for intervention and had since resolved a significant number of long-overdue suspension cases. According to 2022 reports, 259 government employees on precautionary suspension had cost taxpayers R130 million that year. In 2023, Gauteng government departments spent more than R25 million to pay people suspended for prolonged periods. At the time, a Department of Correctional Services official spent 883 days on suspension with full pay while waiting for his disciplinary hearing to be finalised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyamtanda Capa at News24 (registration required)
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