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 recent South
African labour-related reports.
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SA Institute of Professional Accountants dismisses its chief executive with immediate effect Moneyweb reports that Shahied Daniels, chief executive of the SA Institute of Professional Accountants (Saipa), has been dismissed with immediate effect following a disciplinary process spanning six months. He has been found guilty on six charges of contravening the institute’s rules, policies and procedures – amounting to gross negligence, misconduct, and serious governance breaches. Marco van der Walt, representing Daniels, says they have received the outcome of the disciplinary process and are considering further legal action. The process started almost a year ago when legal and governance experts alerted the board to governance concerns and serious allegations against Daniels and the chief operations officer Gavin Isaacs. They were placed under precautionary suspension, and Saipa’s board appointed BDO to conduct a forensic investigation into the allegations. The investigation found prima facie evidence of numerous breaches of governance. Terry Motau SC, the independent chair who led the disciplinary hearing following the outcome of the forensic investigation, found Daniels guilty of serious misconduct, which resulted in Saipa losing confidence and trust in him. The disciplinary process into the conduct of Isaacs is still ongoing. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Visser at Moneyweb
Ekurhuleni metro police chief suspended over ‘serious’ allegations of misconduct, including GBV TimesLIVE reports that the Ekurhuleni chief of police Jabulani Isaac Mapiyeye has been placed on precautionary suspension in connection with “serious allegations" of misconduct, including sexual harassment and intimidation. Mapiyeye was served with the letter of suspension on Wednesday. City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said that in a special meeting held early this month, the council authorised the city manager to follow procedures in dealing with the matter. “The council further authorised the city manager to appoint an independent investigator to conduct an investigation into these allegations that the council ‘deemed to be serious in nature’,” he reported. The accounting officer will have to submit a report to the council on findings against Mapiyeye within 30 days of the appointment of the independent investigator. In 2023, forensic practitioner Calvin Rafadi sent a complaint to the Office of the Public Protector about allegations of gender-based violence (GBV), assault, defeating the ends of justice and corruption against Mapiyeye. Rafadi’s complaint was then sent to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate. Last Friday, Mapiyeye appeared in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court in a sexual harassment and intimidation matter, and the case was postponed until 4 October. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange at TimesLIVE. Read too, Ekurhuleni metro police chief on precautionary suspension following sexual misconduct allegations, at News24 (registration required). And also, Ekurhuleni Police Chief Mapiyeye on suspension over alleged sex misconduct, at The Star Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Security company acts against guards accused of brutally attacking three Mooi River farm workers The Witness reports that the security company whose staff allegedly assaulted three Mooi River farm workers has taken disciplinary action against the guards. The three workers were brutally beaten after being accused of theft last Sunday. The guards are employed by Ballid Security, which is contracted to the farm where the three workers were employed. The company’s owner, Riaan Claasen on Wednesday advised: “I can confirm that the disciplinary proceedings against the employees concerned have been finalised. They have been found guilty of various charges and the sanctions imposed on them are appropriate, having regard to the very serious charges against them.” The three farm workers were reportedly thrown into a dam after being severely assaulted by the guards. One of the victims, Bheki Mazibuko, who was admitted to Northdale Hospital with broken ribs, is recuperating at home. “I have already given the police my statement. What I’m waiting for is for the police to arrest the people who assaulted me,” he said. uMgungundlovu police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala said investigations were at an advanced stage. “Police are currently interacting with the security company concerned to establish which security guards were on duty when the alleged assaults took place,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Clive Ndou at The Witness Other internet posting(s) in this news category
More jobs added in second quarter, but employment still less than a year ago The Citizen reports that employment statistics for the second quarter show that more jobs were added compared to the first quarter. But overall, fewer people were employed than in the second quarter of last year as total employment decreased by 144,000, or 1.3%, between June 2023 and June 2024. Statistics SA announced the Quarterly Employment Statistics for the second quarter on Thursday, showing that total employment increased by 42,000 or 0.4% in the second quarter compared to the first quarter of the year from 10,674,000 in March to 10,716,000 in June. This was primarily thanks to an increase in the community services industry that added 92,000 (3.1%) jobs. However, the manufacturing industry cut 16,000 jobs in the second quarter, while business services cut 14,000 jobs, mining and transport cut 7,000 jobs each, trade cut 5,000 jobs and the construction industry cut 1,000 jobs. The electricity industry showed no change. According to Statistics SA, full-time employment decreased by 39,000 (0.4%) in the second quarter compared to the first quarter, from 9,488,000 in March 2024 to 9,449,000 in June 2024. Part-time employment increased quarter-on-quarter, but not year-on-year. Part-time employment increased by 81,000 (6.8%), from 1,186,000 in March to 1,267,000 in June 2024, largely thanks to an increase of 94,000 (17.5%) jobs in community services and 1,000 (1.2%) in the manufacturing industry. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen Unemployed graduates march in Tshwane to demand work in policing sector GroundUp reports that scores of unemployed graduates demanding jobs in the policing sector marched in Tshwane on Thursday. Wearing their black graduation gowns, they carried their CVs to submit to the human resources manager of the police department and hand over a memorandum of demands. Major General Lenny Govendor, head of human resources, accepted the memorandum on behalf of Police National Commissioner Fannie Masemola. “You will allow us 14 days if you want meaningful feedback to engage other stakeholders,” he indicated. Graduates marched in May to the Union Buildings, but they did not receive any feedback. One of Thursday’s marchers, Sharon Madonsela, said she has an Honours in Forensic Science and Technology from Unisa, but has been unemployed for two years. She lamented: “I apply for all jobs, even cleaning, because I just want employment. I don’t even get a learnership or internship. The government doesn’t take us seriously, because there are job shortages in the departments of police and justice.” Rachel Matatane travelled 100 kilometres from Vereeniging to Pretoria to join the march. She recently graduated with a degree in forensics and has a criminal justice higher certificate from 2021. “We came with our CVs so we can show them we are serious about getting employment. The reason I chose this degree is that there is a shortage of investigators,” she said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Silver Sibiya at GroundUp. Read too, After protest, unemployed law enforcement graduates hand over CVs to SAPS officials in hopes of getting a job, at EWN
Broke education department stops hiring of more teachers, but retrenchments not expected TimesLIVE reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) will not be filling vacant teacher posts and needs money urgently to fund teachers in the system, but the minister insists no retrenchments are expected. The DBE has a minimum shortfall of R79bn, namely R11.8bn in the Eastern Cape; R7.7bn in the Free State; R20bn in Gauteng; R26.7bn in KwaZulu-Natal; R546m in Limpopo; R4.3bn in Mpumalanga; R2.2bn in the Northern Cape; R692m in the North West; and R4.4bn in the Western Cape. DBE Minister Siviwe Gwarube said the result was fewer teachers, less textbooks and less admin staff. The department has already experienced a teacher shortage for years. “The future of our children is under threat if we continue on this trajectory,” she told journalists. Gwarube warned that provinces would find it difficult in the next two to three years to fund their existing posts and programmes within their available budgets unless measures were taken to mitigate this risk. Gwarube said the “government had not made the right decisions at the right time”. She blamed the bailing out of state-owned enterprises between 2013 and 2023, which she said could have funded education, health care and economic infrastructure. She also blamed the corruption of the past decade. The DBE has requested an urgent meeting with the National Treasury to find short- and long-term solutions on the budget crisis. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bulelani Nonyukela at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
AA expects major fuel price cuts in October BusinessLive reports that motorists can expect major fuel price cuts in October when fuel prices are adjusted next week. The AA says unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) points to significant reductions in fuel prices across the board, which will mark the fifth consecutive decrease in 2024. According to the CEF’s figures, ULP95 petrol is expected to cost R1.13/l less while ULP93 is set to drop by about R1.05/l. Diesel is predicted to decrease between R1.12/l and R1.10/l, while illuminating paraffin will go down by about R1.08/l. “If these decreases are realised, the cumulative impact of this fifth decrease is substantial. Considering, for instance ULP93 inland, the past four decreases amounted to about R3.36/l which brought about a saving of about R168 on a 50l petrol tank. If the expected decreases for October materialise it will bring a saving of R220.50 for a 50l tank using ULP93 since May,” the AA pointed out. The official fuel pricing announcement for October by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources is expected on 30 September ahead of the adjustment at midnight on 2 October. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denis Droppa at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
DRDGold’s Ergo operation commits R2.5m to provide skills training for 50 Gauteng unemployed youths Mining Weekly reports that Gauteng Growth and Development Agency subsidiary The Innovation Hub has signed a memorandum of understanding with surface gold tailings retreatment company DRDGold’s Ergo operation to train and incubate 50 unemployed young people. The training and business incubation programme is planned for two areas within Ekurhuleni – Duduza and Tsakane – and in Soweto and will focus on equipping 50 youths with skills in the areas of mobile device repairs, data annotation and graphic design. The training courses will run between six and nine months, starting in October. The Innovation Hub will run a participant selection process, which will be communicated with the target groups soon. Through its social and labour plan, Ergo has committed R2.5-million towards this programme. “This strategic partnership between The Innovation Hub and Ergo demonstrates the shared commitment to promoting innovation, skills development and entrepreneurship in communities,” DRDGold indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Old Mutual reports huge outflows as retrenched miners access benefits BusinessLive reports that Old Mutual says mass jobs cuts in SA’s mining industry have contributed to the financial services group reporting billions of rand in retrenchment benefit outflows in the six months ended June. SA’s mining industry has retrenched tens of thousands of workers this year, with the platinum group metals sector alone accounting for about 10,000 job cuts. There have also been retrenchments in the coal and gold industries as those companies close unprofitable shafts. Earlier this month the World Platinum Investment Council said SA’s platinum supply had slipped to pre-Covid levels after the industry slashed about 10,000 jobs and recalibrated operations in response to a plunge in prices. The organisation also warned that job cuts placed long-term production at risk. Old Mutual said its employee benefits business remained focused on generating flows from continued employee benefits deals and it would continue to build a strong pipeline into the new year. “The business is soundly positioned to manage the impact of short-term, “two-pot” withdrawals, which will have a further negative impact on net client cash flow at year end,” the group said, referring to the change in retirement funding legislation that enables workers early access to a portion of their retirement savings. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo & Jacqueline Mackenzie at BusinessLive
DA appalled at millions paid to seven Cuban doctors even though they had left SA a year ago SABC News reports that the Gauteng Health Department apparently paid over R3.9 million to seven Cuban doctors after they had left South Africa. This was indicated in a written reply to a question posed by the DA’s Jack Bloom in the Gauteng Legislature. According to Bloom, the doctors were part of a group of 28 medical professionals hired in 2020 to combat Covid-19. He said the contracts of the seven Cuban doctors in question were irregularly extended for another year and that the doctors continued receiving salaries without working until May 2022. Bloom described the revelation as shocking: “It’s really appalling that the Gauteng Health Department paid seven Cuban doctors R3.9 million for the entire year while they are back home in Cuba. It shows this massive thing of incompetence by the Gauteng Health Department as well as probable corruption. This needs to stop because we are wasting amounts of money while people suffer in our hospitals.” Meanwhile, a few months ago, the DA complained about the health department paying approximately R14 million for Cuban doctors every year despite local doctors facing huge levels of unemployment. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
KZN premier's office manager who faked qualifications gets six years in prison TimesLIVE reports that a former official in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) premier's office who faked his qualifications has been sentenced to six years for fraud. Mlekeleli Masondo, 45, who applied for a project manager’s post in 2010 by submitting fraudulent qualifications, was found guilty on five counts of fraud. He was sentenced to a further two years' imprisonment for forgery and another two counts of uttering. Both sentences will run concurrently. Masondo was employed and in 2019 promoted to a deputy director position. In 2021 the Department of Public Service and Administration conducted a qualification audit and Masondo failed to submit original documents. It was then discovered his qualifications were fraudulent and disciplinary steps were instituted against him. The office of the premier was defrauded of R3,720,422 and a case of fraud was reported at Pietermaritzburg police station. The case docket was allocated to the Hawks members from Pietermaritzburg serious commercial crime investigation and Masondo was arrested in February last year. He was found guilty in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on 9 May. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mfundo Mkhize at TimesLIVE Two North West education department employees in court for fake matric certificates The Citizen reports that two North West Department of Education employees appeared in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to face fraud, forgery, and uttering charges. The pair, 46-year-old Morwesi Margareth Mokone and 54-year-old Mankwane Suzan Raleru, were arrested by Rustenburg-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation members following allegations of submitting fraudulent matric certificates when applying for their positions. Raleru was hired as an Early Childhood Development Fieldworker at the Kgetleng River APO in August 2008. She submitted a fraudulent matric certificate, claiming that she had obtained the qualification in 1992. An investigation revealed that Raleru did write matric, but never passed it. In a separate matter, Mokone applied for an administration assistant position at the Kana Primary School based in Rustenburg in March 2011. She was hired after using a forged matric certificate in her application, which she claimed she had obtained in 1998. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the accused never sat for matric exams. The pair were paid over R4m in salaries by the department after committing fraud. The duo were granted R10,000 bail each and both their cases were postponed to 14 November for further investigations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Enkosi Selane at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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