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 Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Ramaphosa calls for peaceful resolution to police standoff with illegal miners at Stilfontein mine Mining Weekly reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa described the Stilfontein mine as a “crime scene”, on Monday, as he called for a peaceful resolution to the standoff at the disused mine shaft, where illegal miners are holed up. The SA Police Service and government departments have been trying, for over a month, to surface the illegal miners from the abandoned North West gold mine. While more than 1,000 miners have since surfaced and been arrested, it is believed that there are still hundreds of illegal miners in the shaft. Police had closed off the mine’s entrances and stopped supplies of water and food to the miners to force them out. However, the Pretoria High Court has since ruled that the shaft be unblocked by police to allow for food and water to reach the miners. One body has been retrieved from the mine. Ramaphosa noted that this operation formed part of government’s nationwide Operation Vala Umgodi crackdown to curb illegal mining activities in the country and said: “We need to be clear that the activities of these miners are illegal. They pose a risk to our economy, communities and personal safety. The Stilfontein mine is a crime scene where the offence of illegal mining is being committed. It is standard police practice everywhere to secure a crime scene and to block off escape routes that enable criminals to evade arrest. In doing so, the police must take great care to ensure that lives are not put at risk and that the rights of all people are respected.” Ramaphosa gave the assurance that the police would carry out their operations safely at Stilfontein, to ensure low risk of harm to miners and police officers, but noted that the situation was “volatile”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly. Read too, Retrieval of Stilfontein illegal miners must be done carefully, says Ramaphosa, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). En ook, Ramaphosa verdedig optrede teen onwettige mynwerkers, by Maroela Media Saftu’s Zwelinzima Vavi applauds court order for rescue of trapped illegal miners in Stilfontein TimesLIVE reports that general secretary of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), Zwelinzima Vavi, has expressed support for the court order that allows the rescue of illegal miners trapped underground in Stilfontein, North West. The miners, referred to as zama zamas, who have been underground for months, faced a severe lack of food and water after police blocked supplies in an attempt to force them to emerge. Some miners reportedly died while others became too weak to resurface. Many of the zama zamas refused to come up as they feared arrest after police action in the area. “We are glad the police, thanks to a court order, are allowing food and water to be taken down. The operation to bring the artisan miners to the surface is under way. It takes more than 30 minutes using a rope to bring one miner up from 2km underground. The operation will last more than a week,” Vavi said on X. The interim order was issued on Saturday after an urgent application by the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution. The Pretoria High Court mandated that the mine shaft be reopened to enable trapped miners to exit while restricting entry to emergency personnel. The case was postponed to Tuesday for government ministers to make representations. Vavi also thanked the police minister Senzo Mchunu for his humanitarian approach to the matter. Mchunu visited the scene on Friday and appointed North West MEC for community safety and transport management Wessels Morweng to lead a rescue team composed of police officers, district and local mayors, community leaders, mine owners and government departments. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Modiegi Mashamaite at TimesLIVE Authorities mum on plan to rescue illegal miners in Stilfontein The Citizen reports that a plan is in place to rescue illegal miners trapped in an abandoned shaft in Stilfontein, North West although authorities are keeping the details under wraps. The SA Police Service (SAPS) and other law enforcement agencies are locked in a standoff with illegal miners who remain underground, refusing to emerge from the abandoned gold mine to delay arrest. Addressing the media on Monday, deputy national police commissioner responsible for policing, Tebello Mosikili, emphasised that the illegal miners faced arrest. “People are continuing to commit crime unabatedly and they should be dealt with accordingly and that will be implemented without fear or favour because we have, for 12 months, launched Operation Vala Umgodi to ensure that criminality doesn’t persist,” she pointed out. Mosikili explained that health protocols had to be adhered to before any medication can be delivered to the illegal miners. Mosikili advised that the exact number of zama zamas underground remained unknown but confirmed that a plan was being developed to assess the requirements for the rescue operation. “How many [people] is still a mystery for us as the authorities which will be clarified and determined by the team that go [underground] after those safety precautions have been undertaken,” she explained. Mosikili told the media that the necessary equipment was being deployed to assess the situation, after which emergency protocols would be implemented. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa at The Citizen. Lees ook, Honderde zama-zamas vermoedelik steeds ondergronds, by Maroela Media Authorities to deliver antiretroviral drugs to trapped illegal miners in Stilfontein News24 reports that authorities will deliver antiretroviral drugs to some of the zama zamas who are reported to be trapped in a shaft in Stilfontein, the North West. Following a written request by the illegal miners, citing that some were in need of the drugs, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, the deputy national commissioner responsible for policing, on Monday said the police were bound by a court order that was issued on Saturday. She indicated that the order instructed the authorities to provide the miners with the necessary medication that would ensure the safety of life. "And if that ARV is one of the requests that have been made, we have indicated that it will be done in a very coordinated manner. They know where to go, where the team is convening, where they will give those ARVs that will go down underground for the safety of the people," Mosikili said. The interim order granted by Judge Brenda Neukircher in the North Gauteng High Court ruled the shaft should not be blocked "by any person or institution whether government or private". She ordered that miners trapped in the mine shaft be permitted to exit and no non-emergency personnel must enter the mine shaft. The application in full, which was brought by the Society for the Protection of our Constitution on Thursday, was postponed to Tuesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Sibiya at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
One dead, two injured after chemical explosion at KZN factory News24 reports that a person died and two others were injured in a chemical explosion at a factory in Jacobs, south of Durban, on Monday. Garrith Jamieson of ALS Paramedics said their paramedics arrived on the scene around 12:45 "to find chaos". He went on to say: "They found that some sort of chemicals had exploded, leaving three people injured, two critically so." One man went into cardiac arrest while paramedics were attending to him, and he died on scene. Two other patients sustained moderate injuries and were stabilised on scene. They were then transported to various Durban hospitals for the urgent care that they required. Jamieson said the cause of the explosion was not yet known and authorities were investigating. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Jenna Verster at News24 Fire rips through advocates' Sandton offices on Monday, no injuries reported News24 reports that early on Monday morning a blaze engulfed the second floor of the building housing the Bridge Group of Advocates in Sandown Village, Sandton, causing extensive damage. Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Nana Radebe-Kgiba advised that firefighters responded to the blaze in the early hours of Monday. "On arrival, firefighter crews found the office park gutted with flames, and the roof collapsed. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported during the incident,” she said. The roof of the top floor was completely destroyed, several windows were shattered, and walls were blackened with soot. Officials in bright yellow overalls and safety helmets were seen evaluating the extent of the damage. An eyewitness indicated that the fire had broken out at around 04:00 on Monday, apparently on the second floor. By the time emergency services arrived, the top floor was engulfed in flames. "I was shocked and didn't know what to do. There are no chambers, no books and nothing left," the witness said. The lower floors were apparently also affected by water damage. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by lavan Pijoos at News24
Possible resolution close for Numsa’s ArcelorMittal SA strike BusinessLive reported on Monday morning that the strike at ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) may be terminated this week as unions and the JSE-listed company meet to thrash out details, signalling a possible end to the strike. The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) began picketing last Thursday at the steel manufacturer facilities in Vanderbijlpark after it closed some plants, laying off at least 107 workers. Numsa Sedibeng regional secretary Kabelo Ramokhathali said Amsa management and the union had been meeting to try to carve a path forward and resolve the protest action. “The management met with the union after the first day of the industrial action on Thursday. Parties are now exchanging notes with a view to settle the strike action by Monday,” said Ramokhathali. Amsa spokesperson Tami Didiza indicated on Sunday that both parties would issue a joint statement probably on Monday. It was reported last week that the group’s operations at its three plants across the country remained unaffected by the indefinite protest action. In that regard a court order had barred employees who fell under business units covered by the maintenance determination from participating in any industrial action. An urgent application to stop industrial action for workers who fell outside the business units covered by the maintenance determination was heard on Friday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Michelle Gumede & Luyolo Mkentne at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba offers to retrieve bodies of victims of 2016 Lily mine disaster TimesLIVE reports that ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has offered to retrieve the bodies of the three deceased Vantage Goldfields Lily mine employees who were trapped and died when a central pillar collapsed into a sinkhole on 5 February 2016. Solomon Nyirenda, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Winnie Nkambule were in an above-ground container that was being used as a lamp room when the mine collapsed and they were buried 70m underground under 20,000 tonnes of earth. Their bodies have still not been retrieved. Mashaba said he was frustrated by the long wait, which had prompted him to write to the business rescue practitioner of Vantage Goldfields, RC Devreaux, to offer to retrieve the bodies at ActionSA's expense. “The whole thing has been turned into an upmanship battle through litigation by Vantage Goldfields and Agromanzi. It is sad. I cannot sit by with a clear conscience knowing that these families continue to be denied the justice they deserve,” Mashaba said. He added: “ActionSA makes this proposal to fight for these families precisely because everyone else has either forgotten and moved on or simply given up on their story.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE Sibanye-Stillwater secures six health and safety awards Mining Weekly reports that miner Sibanye-Stillwater’s South African operations received six industry health and safety awards at the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) MineSafe 2024 conference this month. The awards recognise safety achievements by the group’s platinum group metals and gold operations during the year. For the Year-on-Year Safety Improvement in Gold Operations award, the Kloof operation won first place, the Kloof Thuthukani shaft second place and the Driefontein Masakhane, Pitseng and Ya Rona shafts third place. For the Year-on-Year Safety Improvement in Processing Operations award, the Kloof gold plant won first place and the Kroondal PGM plant second place. For the Leading Practice Adoption award, Sibanye-Stillwater South African gold operations won for its dust leading practice adoption. “We are honoured to receive these health and safety awards, which is a testament to the unwavering commitment and dedication of all the teams at Sibanye-Stillwater. We remain committed to continuous improvement and innovation in our health and safety practices, ensuring that every member of the Sibanye-Stillwater family returns home healthy and safe every day,” said Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman. Read the original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Reserve Bank to cut interest rates further this week, economists reckon Mail & Guardian reports that the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) is expected to cut the benchmark repo rate by another 25 basis points on Thursday, bringing it to 7.75%. This would be the second rate cut in a cycle that began in September, when the central bank cut rates by 25 basis points, the first reduction in more than four years. The decision by the SARB’s monetary policy committee (MPC) this week will probably be driven by the “fact that our inflation is now well below the 4.5% midpoint of the target range, moving closer to the bottom 3%”, said Maarten Ackerman, chief economist at Citadel. “This provides a supportive environment for the Reserve Bank to continue cutting interest rates. As we approach the festive season, consumers may find some relief, particularly those managing high levels of debt, thanks to the beginning of the interest rate cutting cycle.” Inflation slowed to 3.8% year-on-year in September from 4.4% in August, which is well below 4.5%, the midpoint of the Reserve Bank’s 3% to 6% target band. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Aarti Bhana at Mail & Guardian
Samwu concerned over nonpayment by Municipal Workers’ Retirement Fund of workers’ two-pot funds BL Premium reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has expressed concern about a retirement fund’s alleged failure to process workers’ applications to access a portion of their retirement savings in the two-pot retirement system. Samwu general secretary Dumisane Magagula said the union was having difficulty getting answers from the Municipal Workers’ Retirement Fund (MWRF). “The challenge is that when the two-pot system started, we received a number of queries nationwide from municipalities. Workers were saying they had applied to access a portion of their savings from the two-pot system but the retirement fund was not processing their applications. The biggest challenge is that [the fund] is not communicating the causes for the delays,” Magagula explained. He indicated that the union had received queries from its members in the Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng, Mangaung and Matjhabeng local councils, among others. Disgruntled municipal workers recently visited the MWRF’s offices in Auckland Park, “but the offices were closed, only security guards were on site”. Magagula said: “The fund is not operating from their offices, we don’t know whether they are avoiding our members. We have been trying to meet the principal officer of the fund and the board chair since September. We have started a process of going to the pension fund adjudicator to assist our members to lodge complaints against the fund. That process will take its own time, but that’s where we are at the moment.” The MWRF’s Naledi Ntanyana said it was not true the fund was not processing applications. “The office is not abandoned. As we speak, applications are being processed,” she claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Financial Sector Conduct Authority probes two-pot withdrawal charges BL Premium reports that the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) is probing the charges imposed by pension funds and fund administrators on ‘two-pot’ withdrawals. According to Matthew Parks, Cosatu parliamentary co-ordinator, the matter has been under review at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). The FSCA, the Association for Savings and Investment SA (Asisa), and the Treasury had all been involved, he said, adding that discussions were continuing. Cosatu has proposed to the Treasury that caps be imposed on what pension funds can charge. By early November the SA Revenue Service had received 1.7-million applications for withdrawals which totalled just over R30bn. A study by Keystone Actuarial Solutions estimated the average fee charged by pension funds and administrators for a withdrawal to be about R320. On the basis of an average R320 charge on the 1.7-million withdrawals, pension funds and administrators would have made a total of R544m since the two-pot system came into effect on 1 September. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana pointed out that the two-pot regime was still in its inception phase and the National Treasury, together with the relevant regulatory agencies, would continue to monitor its implementation. “The FSCA has thus taken the first step to see whether boards of funds ensure that reasonable fees are charged for, among others, withdrawals from the savings component in terms of the two-pot system,” he advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Discovery wants beneficiary to pay back R16m disability payout for depression Moneyweb reports that Discovery Life is seeking to recover R16 million it paid to a KwaZulu-Natal man after he allegedly became totally and permanently unable to perform his nominated occupation as an accountant as a result of suffering from depression from 2016 onwards. Sunil Pranpath lodged claims under two insurance policies that provided disability and income protection cover as a result of orthopaedic injuries he suffered when he was knocked over by a motor vehicle while walking. In February 2015 he lodged a mental and behavioural disability claim under both policies, alleging he suffered from major depression and chronic pain, which prevented him from working. Discovery Life accepted the truth and correctness of Pranpath’s statements and approved payment of the benefits in December 2016. Discovery Life conducts those reviews by requiring insured persons to complete claim review forms and questionnaires periodically. Subsequent to the initial benefits being paid, Pranpath completed three continuous claim forms – in June 2018, August 2019 and August 2020. In all of the reviews, Pranpath represented that he was totally unable to work as an accountant, was not working as an accountant and did not foresee that he would return to work at any specified date or time. A quality of life questionnaire completed by Pranpath in September 2019 was to the same effect. However, Discovery Life is now claiming that in truth Pranpath was able to work and continued to work throughout the period from August 2019 to August 2020 and his responses to the review forms and questionnaire were misrepresentations. Pranpath has refuted the allegation and also denies the facts and inferences on which Discovery Life alleges the claims were fraudulent. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Roy Cokayne at Moneyweb
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