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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Eskom appoints four of seven new executives in preparation for a competitive marketplace TimesLIVE reports that Eskom has appointed the first four of seven new executives to address its business challenges and to deliver strategic initiatives to enable growth and long-term sustainability. The new appointees will take up their posts on 1 November. They are corporate services executive Portia Mngomezulu, strategy and sustainability executive Nontokozo Hadebe, group capital executive Roman Crookes and chief information and technology officer Len de Villiers. “Eskom recognised that it needs to bring in new skills at the executive level to guide its teams so [they] can execute strategic initiatives in a competitive market faster, more efficiently and in areas which are new to the utility,” said Eskom CEO Dan Marokane. Noting that in in just five months Eskom had filled critical positions, he added: “It is our intention to remain a critical player in South Africa’s evolving future energy market, and we will move at pace to recover lost ground.” Mngomezulu is a corporate services executive with more than 28 years of experience, including more than a decade in senior leadership roles in the public sector. Hadebe has 23 years’ experience in strategy development, corporate planning, performance management and strategic initiatives management. Crookes will bring more than 23 years of experience in the power industry. De Villiers, who has been appointed on a three-year contract, has more than 40 years of experience in IT. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE. Read too, Eskom expands its executive team to ‘future-proof’, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
PIC launches early and ‘proactive’ search for new CEO Fin24 reports that Public Investment Corporation (PIC) announced on Thursday that it would be advertising for a new CEO in coming days. Its current CEO Abel Sithole will remain in his position until his term comes to an end in July 2025. Sithole, who was previously the head of the Government Employees' Pension Fund and commissioner of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, was appointed in 2020. "The search is a responsible and proactive move by the Board to allow sufficient time to appoint a new CEO and to ensure a seamless leadership transition at the PIC, in view of Mr. Sithole’s term expiring in eight months," the PIC said in a statement. It is looking for a "dynamic, visionary, and results-oriented leader who will steer the company to new heights". Qualified candidates should have expertise in the asset management industry, "strategic acumen", and a proven track record in sustainable business growth. The PIC has R3 trillion in assets under management, and manages the pension savings of SA civil servants and the assets of the Unemployment Insurance Fund. It is the largest investor on the JSE and the largest asset manager on the continent. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Fin24 (trial registration required)
PetroSA CEO Xolile Sizani suspended after less than a year in the job BL Premium reports that the CEO of state-owned oil and gas company Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of SA (PetroSA), Xolile Sizani, has been suspended after less than a year in the role. “PetroSA’s current group CEO, Xolile Sizani, has been recused from operations, pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation,” the company advised in a statement on Thursday, adding that nonexecutive director Mmete Fusi would replace Sizani in an acting role until further notice, effective immediately. Sizani, previously CEO of facilities management group Servest, took over the helm of PetroSA in March. He had previously also held management positions at Medipos medical scheme, Afrox and Sasol. It was reported in June that Sizani had restructured his executive shortly after taking office and retained just one woman – a move that raised eyebrows in some quarters of the company. The only woman remaining on the executive committee was group CFO Nombulelo Tyandela. “The board will continue to provide its unwavering support to PetroSA’s executive management in driving the organisation towards sustainability,” PetroSA said in Thursday’s statement. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). See too, Mmete Fusi appointed acting group CEO of PetroSA, at Engineering News. En ook, Koppe rol al weer by PetroSA, by Netwerk24 (toegang slegs vir intekenare)
Two Algoa Bus managers gunned down in one week – possibly extortion-related News24 reports that two senior employees of the Algoa Bus Company in the Eastern Cape were killed in the space of one week in what could be hit-jobs. The murders came less than three months after two men made their way into the bus company’s offices in Gqeberha, seemingly in an attempt to extort the company. According to a source, the two men approached the security guard and "demanded protection fees". Last Thursday, Timothy Botha, an engineering manager at the company, was murdered shortly after he arrived at the bus depot in Korsten at around 07:00. The security guard at the depot heard multiple shots being fired in the parking lot and hit the panic button. The guard did not see anything, but he found Botha in a pool of blood. The 53-year-old was shot multiple times in his upper body. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the motive and suspects were still unknown, and no arrests had been made. Another senior official at the company, operations unit manager Xolani Christopher Melane, was gunned down four days later after being ambushed at home. Mawisa said six men barged into Melane's home in Motherwell and opened fire, killing him instantly. The suspects stole the deceased's VW Polo, plasma television, several cellphones and fled the scene. The vehicle was recovered a short while later. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24 (trial registration required) On World Emergency Medical Services Day, community urged to protect EMS personnel Daily News reports that World Emergency Medical Services Day on Thursday shone a spotlight on the importance of emergency medical teams. The MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Nomagugu Simelane, urged the community to protect paramedics because they provided a lifeline during emergencies. Simelane’s urgent plea came in the wake of a disturbing incident in eShowe earlier this month, where an emergency medical services (EMS) ambulance was attacked by community members. Chaos erupted at the Obanjeni Reserve when EMS personnel were called to assist an injured biker. Tensions flared between bystanders and the biker’s friends. Amidst the escalating conflict, members of the community began hurling stones at the EMS ambulance. In a swift reaction to ensure their safety, the paramedics abandoned their efforts and withdrew, but not before the vehicle sustained damage to its windshield. Simelane said the EMS teams’ ability to carry out this crucial work was often hindered by acts of criminality, which included attacks on personnel, hijacking of ambulances, and theft of medical equipment. She said these actions not only endangered the lives of EMS teams but also jeopardised the lives of those in need of urgent care. "Our EMS teams represent a vital lifeline for many people during emergencies, and it is imperative that we protect them," Simelane stated. She acknowledged the unwavering dedication of EMS workers, many of whom risked their own lives to save others, labelling them as our “heroes.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phindile Nqumako at Daily News. Read too, KZN Health MEC urges protection for Emergency Medical Services, at The Mercury Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mediation over BELA between Solidarity, Basic Education and Presidency to commence on Friday at Nedlac Maroela Media reports that a mediation process between trade union Solidarity, the Department of Basic Education and the Presidency will commence on Friday at the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) in a bid to resolve the dispute over the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA). Themediation process comes after Solidarity served a ‘section 77’ notice on Nedlac for its members to be protected when they participate in protest march against BELA in Pretoria on 5 November. In terms of the Labour Relations Act, in considering such an application, Nedlac must first attempt to resolve such a dispute. Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity chief executive, indicated: “We are entering the mediation with an open mind. We have a very strong case and will state our case loud and clear. The government deals recklessly with schools in general and particularly so with Afrikaans schools.” President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the BELA Amendment Bill into law on 13 September this year, but sections 5 and 6, which deal with schools’ language and admission policies, have been put on hold for three months for talks on their implementation to take place. “If no settlement is reached after the Nedlac mediation, Nedlac must issue a certificate which will mean that Solidarity members may participate in the march without employers being allowed to take action against them,” Hermann pointed out. However, Solidarity said the 5 November march would continue regardless of the outcome of the Nedlac process as institutions belonging to the Solidarity Movement, other Afrikaans organisations, educational organisations, parents and traditional communities will participate in the march. Read the full original of the Afrikaans report in the above regard at Maroela Media
Ex-Public Works workers picket through the night at Durban city hall, demanding to get their jobs back GroundUp reports that former Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers in EThekwini municipality have been picketing outside the Durban city hall since Wednesday afternoon and through the night. The workers were involved in various EPWP programmes. Their contracts were terminated in July. Many had been working on six and 12-month contracts that were continually renewed for ten years. According to EThekwini municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana, the public works department had dramatically cut the budget for the 2024/25 financial year. As a result, the municipality was only permitted to recruit 1,276 people, instead of over 4,000 people as in previous years. She said participation will be restricted to those aged 18 to 35. Most of the workers picketing are over 35 years of age, and they say they will struggle to find other jobs. Municipal and Allied Workers’ Union of SA (MATUSA) secretary Silindile Khumalo said: “We need answers from the mayor … We have sent several memorandums but none of them have been honoured.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tsoanelo Sefoloko at GroundUp. Read too, EPWP workers protest in Durban as rehiring promises remain unfulfilled, at Daily News
Clientele chair warns GNU optimism will not dent joblessness overnight BL Premium reports that Clientele chair Gavin Routledge has cautioned that the market optimism that has followed the establishment of the government of national unity (GNU) will not lead to a flurry of jobs overnight. In his view, much more still needs to be done to make a dent in SA’s jobless rate, which ranks among the world’s worst. Routledge, in a letter to shareholders published in the group’s 2024 annual report, wrote: “There is no doubt there will be bumps and potholes in the road. It will take longer for progress to be made than we would all like. Though there are green shoots in the economy, there has been no load-shedding for an extended period and signs of progress at Transnet. All of these problems will take a long time to be fixed and unemployment will continue at the current, unacceptably high levels for quite some time.” He went on to point out: “Before the elections [the] focus was on the risks inherent in the outcome, from potential violence, economic disaster and further decline in service delivery and the standard of living, to the only envisaged positive outcome of a future coalition between the ANC and the DA that many saw as unlikely but the only outcome that could save SA and place us on the road to economic growth.” The establishment of the GNU has caused SA equities to rally, with the all share index up 11.78% year-to-date, with financial stocks doing the heavy lifting, up 20% in the period. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
With no prospect of business rescue, Frame Leisure, owner of The Cross Trainer, to be liquidated Moneyweb reports that sports lifestyle retailer Frame Leisure Trading, which operates The Cross Trainer, XKids and XTrends stores and which entered into voluntary business rescue in August this year, is to be liquidated. Business rescue practitioners (BRPs) George Nell and Gideon Slabbert informed all affected persons on Wednesday that after investigating the company’s affairs and financial situation they came to the conclusion that there was no reasonable prospect of the company being rescued. An urgent application for the liquidation of the company was lodged in the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday and is expected to be heard next week. According to Nel, the company has been in business for 29 years and had 391 employees at the beginning of the year, but this had now declined to 175. At the onset of the business rescue, the company had 56 operational retail outlets countrywide, but these have now diminished to just 19. The BRPs said in a letter to affected persons that their conclusion that the company could not be rescued was based on legal and financial advice taking into consideration a number of factors. These included the inability to obtain the required financial support for the company and post-commencement financing; yhe cancellation of the company’s lease agreements by a majority of the company’s landlords; and the failure of the company to pay its employees their salaries in full for September 2024 and to meet its payroll obligations, which had created significant financial distress for the workforce. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Roy Cokayne at Moneyweb
Numsa livid over ‘unpaid’ primary healthcare benefit for bus sector workers BL Premium reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is set to declare a dispute with the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (Sarpbac), which it has accused of abdicating its duties. The union wants to force the bargaining council to hold “rogue” employers accountable over their alleged refusal to abide by the council’s main collective agreement. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola condemned the Tshwane Affected Operators Investments (TAOI), which manages the Bus Rapid Transport stations in Tshwane. “It has flatly refused to pay the benefit of primary healthcare, which was secured in the last round of wage talks. The management is demanding that workers make submissions to it, on an individual basis, as to why they need to pay the primary healthcare cover. This is outrageous,” Hlubi-Majola said. She elaborated: “Workers do not need to justify to employers why they must receive the benefit. The main collective agreement of the bus passenger sector is binding on all employers and therefore, they have a duty to pay.” Sarpbac general secretary Gary Wilson said on Thursday: “I am not aware of any company that is not complying with the primary healthcare benefit. We have not received any complaints. But if there are companies that are noncompliant, obviously, the council will enforce [the benefit on them].” But, the trade union indicated: “Numsa will be declaring a dispute to compel Sarpbac to depose of its obligation to hold these rogue companies accountable.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Police arrest daughter and sister of Limpopo cop accused of six insurance policy murders News24 reports that police have arrested two people related to Sergeant Raesetja Rachel Kutumela, the police officer accused of six insurance policy murders that saw her cash out R10 million. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe advised: "The one is a 47-year-old nurse, who is the sergeant's sister, and the other is the 27-year-old daughter of the sergeant. The pair were arrested by the SAPS Limpopo tracking team in Mabokelele village this afternoon [Thursday] after the investigating officer obtained a J50 warrant of arrest." The two are expected to appear with Kutumela, 43, in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Friday on charges that include murder, fraud and money laundering. Kutumela, attached to the Senwabarwana police station, was arrested on Thursday last week for murders she allegedly committed between 2019 and 2023. She allegedly took out insurance policies on behalf of the victims with various companies, including Absa, FNB, Assupol, One Life and Standard Bank, pocketing between R1.5 million and R3 million worth of payouts on accidental death and funeral cover plans. Kutumela is said to have used the money to buy two Range Rover SUVs, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a BMW 3 series and a Mercedes Benz C-Class vehicle. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Sibiya at News24 (trial registration required). See too, Police nab two women related to cop arrested for insurance claim murders, at TimesLIVE Pietermaritzburg Hawks member, colleague arrested for armed robbery The Witness reports that two Pietermaritzburg police officers – one a member of the Hawks – are in custody after allegedly robbing a foreign national’s business on Prince Alfred Street at gunpoint. They are accused of stealing cigarettes and cash from a safe, and using a state vehicle during the crime. The officers, a 36-year-old attached to the Hawks and a 24-year-old from Loop Street police station, appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday. They were remanded in custody and are scheduled to reappear on 21 October. The alleged robbery took place last Friday at around 9pm. A source close to the investigation said that the two men exited a vehicle parked next to the store and approached the service window, demanding that the shop attendant open the store and call the owner. The men then used a bolt cutter to break a lock and gain access to the store. Once inside, they approached the tuck shop door and threatened the attendant with a firearm to let them in. They stole cash from the till, R1,000 from a safe, and cigarettes worth R1,800 before fleeing at high speed towards Loop Street. The vehicle’s number plate was circulated via radio control, revealing that it belonged to an organised crime unit. The police officers were arrested after being identified by witnesses. One of the officers is said to be a frequent visitor to the shop. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khethukuthula Xulu at The Witness Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Allegations of sexual exploitation rock Mangosuthu University of Technology Daily News reports that thousands of Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) former civil engineering students are holding “questionable” qualifications following the surfacing of allegations that one of the lecturers was passing them in exchange for sex or money. The lecturer allegedly started the practice soon after joining the institution in 2011. A source within the university said they were internally informed that his colleague had been suspended two weeks ago, but the management did not give reasons for the suspension or go public about the matter. The source said many current and former students had been approaching them about the matter, especially women students who had refused to sleep with the lecturer for good marks. He said if it was not for the new Vice-Chancellor, Nokuthula Sibiya, the lecturer would still be continuing with his dirty work because the previous management under the expelled Vice-Chancellor had not acted even though management had been informed. “We are concerned about the future of students and the reputation of our institution which is why we decided that the public must know about this. Civil engineering is an important skill for the country so it is dangerous if there are people out there who hold fake qualifications,” said the source. The lecturer was apparently charging between R4,000 and R5,000 per subject or payment by way of sex with him if students were women. The university’s spokesperson could not confirm or deny the matter, saying the university could not talk about the matter as it was a human resource issue. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Willem Phungula at Daily News
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