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 Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
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Nedlac summit on Friday to shine spotlight on dormant social compact BusinessLive reports that the lack of a social compact to address SA’s high unemployment rate and the economy two years after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced such an initiative, will loom large when social partners meet for the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) annual summit, in Johannesburg on Friday. The summit, which will be attended by government leaders, policymakers, economists, journalists and civic and union leaders, comes as SA’s unemployment surged to 33.5% in the second quarter, thus increasing the number of unemployed to 8.38-million. On Wednesday, Nedlac executive director Lisa Seftel noted that 2024 was the 30th anniversary of Nedlac and as such the council would be honouring its former conveners and past government ministers who had “brought it to where it is today”. She indicated: “We are going to hand over a report to the government on what social partners would like see the government focusing on in the next five years.” The summit would also talk to issues of social dialogue and social compacts. But, Duma Gqubule of the Centre for Economic Development and Transformation commented: “Ramaphosa has been talking about it (the social compact) for six years but nothing has happened.” According to Gqubule, the government was not really interested in formulating the social compact because it had not shown the seriousness such a mission required. He also criticised Nedlac, saying that since its formation in 1995, it had never reached an agreement on macroeconomic policies. Instead, social partners at Nedlac ended up discussing what the government considered to be “low hanging fruit”. Moreover, he said: “Every single agreement in Nedlac is never implemented or monitored to see what people are doing. That is why for me Nedlac is just a waste of time.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive
Unions challenge cuts in teaching posts in Western Cape TimesLIVE reports that teacher unions have challenge cuts in education posts in the Western Cape after the education department (WCED) announced a R3.8bn budget shortfall over the next three years. The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) provincial secretary Sibongile Kwazi said: “While we acknowledge the reduction of the (WCED) budget, we believe that the employer did not explore all areas where they could reduce spending. Sadtu proposes the halting of the Back on Track programme for 2025 as it benefits only a fraction of the pupils, who experienced learning losses during the Covid-19 lockdown.” She added: “We also proposed the suspension of the annual systemic evaluation, which costs millions of rand, for 2025 as the department has sufficient data to inform interventions needed to improve educational outcomes.” Kwazi argued that poor, working-class communities would bear the brunt of the reduction of posts. National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) provincial CEO Riedwaan Ahmed said the projected teacher-pupil ratios left much to be desired as overcrowding was already a challenge in schools, especially in the poorer communities. He said: “In our view, this (job cuts) will have a devastating impact on education in our province.” Provincial minister of education David Maynier said the reduction in posts would result in some contract teachers not being reappointed when their contracts ended on 31 December, while some permanent teachers would be asked to move to other schools, where there were suitable vacancies. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kim Swartz at BusinessLive Read too, Western Cape education MEC begs unions not to strike over plan to cut teaching posts News24 reports that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has urged teacher unions not to embark on strike action because of the proposed plan to cut more than 2,400 teaching posts ahead of the 2025 academic year. Education MEC David Maynier urged unions to work with the department rather than against it. "We are aware that teachers' unions have threatened to go on strike. Striking will not change the fact that we are being short-changed by the national government, which only provided 64% of the cost of the wage agreement negotiated nationally with unions, leaving the province to fund the remaining 36%," he said. The department blamed the National Treasury for the crisis because it had forced provinces to absorb significant budget shortfalls. The department has a budget shortfall of R3.8 billion. The SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) and the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) have, however, lodged formal disputes with the Education Labour Relations Council against the department over the slashing of teaching posts. Sadtu said the department should cut its programmes rather than teaching posts. Maynier responded: "Even if we cut all the programmes suggested by the teachers' unions, we would not come anywhere close to dealing with the massive R3.8 billion budget shortfall. The situation is critical. If we do not take drastic action to cover the massive shortfall, we compromise our ability to pay our bills, which includes the salaries of teachers." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24 (registration required)
Deresh Ramjugernath appointed as Stellenbosch University's new vice-chancellor News24 reports that the Council of Stellenbosch University (SU) has appointed the deputy vice-chancellor for learning and teaching, Professor Deresh Ramjugernath, as its new vice-chancellor. In a statement on Thursday, the university said he would take on his new role from 1 April 2025 when Professor Wim de Villiers will have concluded his second and final five-year term as rector and vice-chancellor. The university said Ramjugernath was a seasoned and highly experienced higher education leader with extensive senior executive experience in the sector in SA. Prior to his appointment at the university in January 2021, he was the deputy vice-chancellor: research as well as pro vice-chancellor for innovation, commercialisation and entrepreneurship at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. "He also brings extensive board and governance experience having served on several company and organisation boards," according to the statement. Council chairperson Nicky Newton-King described Ramjugernath as an excellent academic and seasoned administrator and said the Council “has no doubt that he will be a worthy successor to Professor De Villiers." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 Amazon ‘hiring like crazy’ in South Africa BusinessTech reports that Amazon is rapidly expanding in SA, and the group is looking to fill many open positions in the market. Despite operating in SA for over two decades through Amazon Web Services, many South Africans were excited by the launch of Amazon.co.za in May of this year, when the American tech giant brought its e-commerce platform to the country. Robert Koen, Managing Director of Amazon Sub-Saharan Africa, said the group was pleased with its performance so far. He added that the business was also looking to expand in a way that suited the needs of South African customers, who mainly purchased everyday items such as washing liquid and fire lighters. Although there has been fanfare over the potential launch of Amazon Prime in SA, Koen said that specifics were still being ironed out. Reflecting the group’s early days in South Africa, Amazon is still busy expanding, with Koen noting that the group is “hiring like crazy”. According to Amazon’s career centre, there are currently 102 full-time positions that can be applied for. Of those, 83 jobs are in the Western Cape, where the group is building a R4.5 billion campus, while the remaining 19 are in Gauteng. It’s not only on the retail side. The group’s cloud division, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is also expanding, planning to invest R46 billion in the AWS Africa (Cape Town) Region by 2029. AWS also opened the first AWS Skills Centre outside of the USA in Cape Town last year, with the centre providing free foundational cloud training. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luke Fraser at BusinessTech SAPS to add 1,000 detectives to bolster fight against extortion rackets News24 reports that 1,000 police detectives are expected to be added to the SA Police Service (SAPS) ranks as attempts are made to fight the scourge of extortion incidents. Recent reports highlighted an increase in the number of extortion rackets affecting communities across the country. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu conceded that SAPS did not have the required number of police officers, especially detectives, able to crack cases and reduce the increasing number of dockets. At a media briefing on Thursday, Mchunu said 1,000 officers would be added to the current number of detectives, in order to address crimes like extortion and kidnappings for ransom. Mchunu, who was flanked by the head of the Hawks, Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya, also addressed the issue of overworked officers. "One of the things we are doing is to inspire officers, so that they do not succumb to overload of work, and dockets that they have to deal with. They have to take it in their stride while we are fixing … because each case must meet its finality," he said. Lebeya added that the Hawks had obtained more than 2,000 statements related to state capture offences, while three people had been convicted based on investigations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tankiso Makhetha at News24 (registration required). Read too, Police adding 1,000 detectives this year to lessen workload, says Mchunu, at TimesLIVE
Media24’s CEO Ishmet Davidson to retire on 9 September 2024 Moneyweb reports that Media24 announced on Thursday that CEO Ishmet Davidson will step down with effect from 9 September 2024. Davidson has been at the helm of Media24 since October 2018. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he held various senior positions within the company, including head of community newspapers, head of the news division, and the company’s first CEO of print media. In a statement, the group noted that during his tenure, Davidson was instrumental in guiding Media24 through significant challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the increasing impact of digital disruption on the news publishing industry. It also said that the company had made strides in financial stability and sustainability. To fill the void left by Davidson’s departure, Media24 has appointed CFO Raj Lalbahadur as interim CEO. Lalbahadur has been with Media24 since 2007 and has held various senior finance roles within the company. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Terri-Ann Brouwers at Moneyweb
ANC in KZN has shut several constituency offices and has failed to pay 40 staff members for two months News24 reports that the ANC in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature owes 40 of its parliamentary constituency administrators their salaries for two months. According to an ANC internal report submitted to the ANC's national working committee (NWC), this is due to a "budget drop" after the party's woeful electoral losses in May. Furthermore, at least two ANC staff members in those offices are believed to be members of the MK Party and "will need to be terminated and replaced". The ANC in the legislature also owes rent for its constituency offices, some of which have been closed. According to the Parliamentary Monitoring Group, constituency work is meant to be an integral part of what MPs and MPLs do, and the offices are considered the "focal points for communities on the ground and must, ideally, provide a direct link between legislatures and the public". The ANC report was so urgent that its author, KwaZulu-Natal caucus office manager Zenzele Msomi, wrote it from his hospital bed, a day before he went into surgery. Msomi recommended that there be a meeting with the party whips to resolve the issues of payments and termination of lease agreements. A source, who provided News24 with the report, added that some of the workers' salaries had been slashed by 60%. This couldn't be independently verified. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Soyiso Mali at News24 (registration required)
MTN is probing favouritism allegations made against its CEO Ralph Mupita Bloomberg News reports that MTN Group, Africa’s biggest wireless service provider by subscribers, is probing issues of alleged favouritism by Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita. The Sunday Times reported on 1 September that an unspecified number of executives threatened to quit after complaining about Mupita allegedly giving preferential treatment to a female executive. MTN’s board is "engaged in a verification process in relation to the allegations raised” and once this process has been completed it will deliberate and communicate as appropriate with stakeholders, the company said in response to Bloomberg’s questions. Nine of MTN’s executives have apparently signed a memorandum backing Mupita. Another executive later added his support via email, bringing the number to 10. The company has 15 executives, excluding Mupita, according to the company’s website. Mupita earlier this week sent a letter to staff assuring them that MTN has governance processes in place to address employee matters, including those concerning senior leadership. Read the original of the report in the above regard at News24
Retirement fund administrators overwhelmed by withdrawal queries following launch of ‘two-pot’ system EWN writes that reports indicate that retirement administrators were overwhelmed with withdrawal requests when the two-pot retirement system was implemented on Monday. By midday on Tuesday, Sanlam’s WhatsApp line had received over 84,000 messages, compared to its daily average of about 18,000. On Monday, Sanlam Life and Savings call centre fielded 15,000 calls, the majority of which related to the two-pot system. From Monday to 5pm on Tuesday, the Sanlam Corporate client call centre received just over 5,500 calls and processed a similar number of two-pot withdrawal requests. Old Mutual reported 93,000 interactions on its WhatsApp channel on Monday, along with thousands of calls to its call centre. "At this stage we're getting little bits and pieces from the various retirement administrators and I think a lot of it is simply asking questions," Maya Fisher-French, Financial Consumer Journalist, indicated Many retirement portals faced difficulties managing the high volume of traffic and responded by posting holding statements on their websites to inform users of the delays. The surge in activity occurred despite warnings about the potential tax implications and the effect on members’ retirement benefits of withdrawals. Fisher-French noted that many schemes anticipated encountering backlogs and technical issues and, as a result, have delayed opening up for applications to manage such potential challenges more effectively. "Only once all of them are really open and running, will we get a really good sense," she noted. Listen to John Maytham’s interview with Maya Fisher-French in the above regard at EWN
Business laments government’s lack of interest in structured NHI talks BusinessLive reports that Business Unity SA (Busa) says it is disappointed by the government’s apparent lack of interest in talks on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act as well as the tone of the rhetoric directed at parties questioning whether it was the right approach for delivering universal health coverage. “Raising these concerns is not only appropriate but in fact the responsible and necessary course of action to ensure that the path we choose as a country is both viable and sustainable,” said Busa CEO Cas Coovadia on Thursday. Busa’s comments followed an address given by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to the International Pharmaceutical Federation Congress on Monday, in which he said fear mongering about NHI was akin to the tactics employed by the apartheid government to frighten the white minority about the supposed security threat posed by the black majority. The “screaming headlines” in the SA media were designed to scare people off and make them angry about NHI, he claimed. Busa lobbied hard against the NHI Bill when it was before parliament. Coovadia indicated that despite President Cyril Ramaphosa signalling in his opening of parliament address in July that there was scope to compromise, Busa was disappointed that “structured discussions have not yet taken place.” In a separate development, Motsoaledi defended his plans to conduct a national roadshow on NHI, which were met with scepticism from organised business, the DA and trade union Solidarity when they were announced in August. He was quizzed about the roadshow costs in parliament on Wednesday, but he declined to answer questions, saying “I’ve got the right to go out to talk to anybody about any programme of the department, including NHI. I don’t owe you any explanation.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive. Read too, Busa calls out government for failing to hold ‘structured’ NHI discussions, at Engineering News
Justice deputy director-general Conny Mametja quits on eve of disciplinary hearing into many charges TimesLIVE reports that Department of Justice deputy director-general (DDG) Conny Mametja resigned a day before she was to face 15 charges of misconduct in a disciplinary hearing. Mametja faced a series of charges relating to procurement irregularities, sharing confidential information with junior staff and failing to implement disciplinary action against transgressors within the department. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development confirmed that Mametja submitted her resignation letter on 25 August, effective immediately. She was scheduled to undergo a disciplinary hearing on 26 and 27 August. Mametja was suspended on 26 June, shortly before new justice minister Thembi Simelane took over the ministry. Mametja’s disciplinary hearing was originally supposed to commence on 18 July but was postponed twice by mutual agreement. Mametja said she resigned ahead of the disciplinary hearing as she did not want to be subjected to it, but opted to rather leave the “toxic environment” to allow director-general advocate Doctor Mashabane to “work without me being there”. She elaborated: “I see that my presence there was not OK for him. That is the reason I resigned. I did not want to have a protracted disciplinary process, which could hamper my career, and I decided I’d rather leave peacefully and allow the DG to continue working without me.” She claimed that the charges against her were “flimsy”. In response to Mametja’s remarks about a broken relationship with the DG, the department’s spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi said the former DDG faced charges of serious misconduct in accordance with the laws governing the conduct of public service senior managers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rorisang Kgosana at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Lawyer and former Ditsobotla municipal manager in court on fraud charges TimesLIVE reports that a legal practitioner and a former manager at the Ditsobotla local municipality appeared in the Lichtenburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on fraud charges. Thouret Mampe Thabe Tiro, director of Tiro Attorneys, and Tsietsi Isaac Shema, who had been director of corporate services at the municipality in 2021, were arrested by the Hawks earlier on Thursday in Lichtenburg. “Their arrest follows an investigation into allegations of fraud relating to the procurement of legal practitioner's services for the municipality,” the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority said in a joint statement. In May 2021, Tiro Attorneys allegedly submitted a request for payment to the municipality for legal services rendered. It was revealed during investigations that Tiro Attorneys did not render any services and that Shema and another suspect, who is still at large, allegedly approved the request for payment. As a result, the municipality suffered a loss of more than R460,000 for services that were never rendered. The accused were remanded until Friday for formal bail applications. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE
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