In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Zama zama death toll at closed Stilfontein gold mine shaft reaches 78 BL Premium reports that the death toll of illegal miners at a closed mining shaft in the North West is inching closer to 100. Rescuers have retrieved 78 bodies from the closed gold mine in Stilfontein, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe advised on Wednesday, three days after rescue operations resumed following a court order from Judge Ronel Tolmay. “We are sitting at 166 people that have been retrieved alive from underground. The number of deceased has risen. We are sitting at 78. So just for today, it’s 22 people that have been retrieved alive and 18 bodies,” Mathe told reporters. The site was swarming with police, home affairs officials and forensic and pathology teams to secure and manage the situation. Every corner was patrolled, restricting reporters and onlookers from approaching. The mood was laden with a profound sense of sorrow, relief and anger. Hundreds of miners have been trapped in the 2km-deep shaft since August after police launched Operation Vala Umgodi to crack down on illegal mining by shutting down access points to the mine. That decision was reversed on Friday after grassroots lobby group Macua challenged the government to provide humanitarian aid to the miners. Mathe said police had arrested more than 100 people for illegal mining. The rescue effort has polarised public opinion. Some, including mining minister Gwede Mantashe, are advocating for a tough stance on the miners, saying the rescue is tantamount to helping lawbreakers. Macua argues that regardless of their illegal activities, the miners are human beings in desperate need of help to save lives. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster, Nompilo Goba & Noxolo Majavu at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Body count of dead Stillfontein illegal miners nearing 80, at Sunday WorldAnd also, Stilfontein zama zamas death toll: 78 decomposed bodies retrieved since Monday, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Cops set sights on kingpins who tortured and held zama zamas captive underground at Stilfontein mine Sunday Times Daily reports that hundreds of unemployed men in Khuma township between Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom in North West were allegedly recruited to an abandoned shaft with promises of lucrative wages only to end up in a huge illegal mining ring. The operations, which involved kingpin foreign nationals, have led to dozens losing their lives allegedly due to hunger and dehydration, but police have not ruled out the possibility of murders. Most of the people who responded to the call were foreign nationals from Mozambique, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, who form the majority of those arrested or found dead. There were also allegations that some of them were kidnapped and kept underground against their wishes. Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said their investigations were looking into kingpins who were running the operations underground and were also responsible for recruiting the illegal miners under false pretenses. “We are also investigating the allegations that the majority of them [zama zamas] were kidnapped. They were brought here under false pretenses and were not given a clear picture of what is happening here,” Mathe said. She asserted that the blame for what transpired at the Stilfontein shaft should be squarely placed on the kingpins of the illegal mining operations. Mathe said police were following up on the information already gathered about the recruitment and the operations underground including zama zamas being denied food by the kingpins. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Isaac Mahlangu at Sunday Times Daily (subscriber access only). Read too, Stilfontein illicit gold trade: Police probing how the mineral changes hands from mine to market, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
North West police officer gunned down in broad daylight on way to work The Citizen reports that Sergeant Fundiswa Motlhaoleng’s usual trip to work took a fatal turn on Tuesday afternoon when she was gunned down in Randlespark in Klerksdorp. The police officer’s murder is the latest in an alarming spate of cop killings across SA. The month of May this year would have marked 20 years in the police force for Motlhaoleng. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Sebata Makgwabone, the 45-year-old officer, who served with the Jouberton Visible Policing Unit, was shot in broad daylight while travelling to work in full uniform in her private vehicle. “The incident took place on Taljaart Kruger Street, where three empty cartridges and ammunition were found. Motlhaoleng’s body was found with what appeared to be gunshot wounds on the jaw and hand,” Makgwabone reported. He confirmed that a manhunt was underway for the four suspects who sped off at a high speed in a black Volkswagen Polo. The Hawks have stepped in to lead the investigation, though no arrests have been made and the motive for the attack remains unclear. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cornelia Le Roux at The Citizen. Lees ook, Polisiesersant op pad werk toe vermoor, by Maroela Media. Read an interview with the SA Policing Union’s Lesiba Thobakgale on ‘Protect the protectors’, at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Numsa embarks on indefinite strike at Bidvest container depot over retrenchment of 106 members BL Premium reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has embarked on an indefinite strike at Bidvest SA Container Depot (SACD) in Durban over the retrenchment of 106 of its members. Bidvest SACD, part of the Bidvest Group, provides cargo and container management as well as supply chain management services. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said the strike came after the parties “couldn’t find each other” during a section 189 process dealing with retrenchments, which started soon after notice was served on the union on 27 September. “The reason they gave for restructuring was ‘the significant downturn and loss of business activity as a direct result of intense market competition, resulting in the under utilisation of warehouse services’. It also cited the challenges affecting the national port system, as some of the reasons given,” Hlubi-Majola indicated. She added that during the consultation process it “became clear that Bidvest wanted to outsource the work of the SACD.” Hlubi-Majola commented further: “Numsa is opposed to outsourcing because that will result in workers losing out on benefits and conditions, which they obtained as permanent employees. It also means a reduction in wages, and so we rejected this as a proposal. Bidvest would not consider other alternatives, only retrenchments. Workers were served with dismissal notices stating that their last day would be January 31.” A Bidvest SACD HR officer said they have a skeleton staff on site. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Measured optimism after government sweetened public sector wage offer to 5% Bloomberg reports that public sector workers have voiced optimism about reaching a pay deal with the government after it improved the state’s wage offer to 5% from 4.7%. "In terms of the negotiations, we believe we will be able to close it in the next week," said Frikkie de Bruin, general secretary of the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council. Unions representing nearly 1.3 million workers, including teachers, nurses and police, are seeking a 6% wage increase for the 2025-26 financial year, down from a demand of 12% when talks began in September. To control its finances, the government wants to link public sector pay increases to the consumer price index for the two years of the agreement after 2025-26, which was a sticking point, De Bruin indicated on Tuesday. "We're making steady progress. If the increases are decent enough, we will definitely consider that," said Claude Naicker of the Public Servants Association (PSA), which represents more than 245,000 workers. "Members are indicating that if we get close to 5.5%, or we do get 5.5%, they're more likely to settle at this stage," he added. Wage talks are expected to resume on 17 January. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Fin24
Noncompliance with national minimum wage rate rising, study finds BL Premium reports that noncompliance with SA’s national minimum wage (NMW) regime has gone up, according to a study conducted by University of Cape Town academics. They warn that the policy runs the risk of becoming merely an “aspirational” measure. The study, conducted on behalf of the National Minimum Wage Commission, examined the short-term labour market effects of the March 2024 increase in the NMW, which was the largest adjustment in real terms since the introduction of the policy in 2019. The NMW was set last year at R27.58 per hour. The study found evidence of partial compliance, where some employers responded to the higher NMW by increasing wages towards but not all the way up to what the law required. Employers also responded to the NMW by reducing working hours of staffers. But, the study found that the 2024 minimum wage increase resulted in a relatively small degree of job loss. The researchers noted: “Relying too heavily on the national minimum wage as the primary tool for improving the economic welfare of workers does contain a level of inherent risk. More specifically, consistent above-inflation increases may not be able to consistently raise wages without some form of trade-off. An obvious concern in SA is around the potentially negative effects on employment and employment growth, but there is also the possibility of increasing noncompliance, where higher minimum wages do not translate into equivalent increases in workers’ wages.” For 2025, the NMW Commission has recommended an increase of consumer price inflation plus 1.5%. Read the full original of the informative eport in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Retired man of God takes Apostolic Faith Mission to CCMA over salary dispute Sunday Times Daily reports that a salary dispute involving Bishop Samuel Molefe and his former employer, the Apostolic Faith Mission of SA (AFM), is set to be heard by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Mahikeng on Friday. Molefe, who served the Lehurutshe branch of the church near Zeerust between 1987 and 2017, reached his retirement age in 2017 when he turned 65. The church board granted him a five-year contract from 2017 to 2022. After the end of his five-year contract, his tenure was extended by an additional two months, ending in June 2023. In documents submitted to the CCMA, Molefe alleges that the church owes him severance pay, unpaid salaries, leave compensation and a 13th cheque. He has not disclosed the total amount he believes is outstanding. A senior church member disputed these claims, stating that Molefe never raised concerns about outstanding payments during his tenure. The conflict officially began on 1 July 2023, after the conclusion of Molefe’s contract. After private resolution efforts failed, he approached the CCMA in December 2023. A conciliation hearing in January 2024 was unsuccessful, leading to arbitration. The church unsuccessfully challenged the CCMA’s jurisdiction. “The CCMA has the requisite jurisdiction to conciliate the dispute,” ruled commissioner Lenkwasi Collins Makama on 26 January 2024. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kenneth Mokgatlhe Wa Kgwadi at Sunday Times Daily (subscriber access only)
Western Cape to hire 477 teachers for new and expanding schools - despite recent cut to 2,400 posts News24 reports that funding has been made available for more than 470 teacher posts in new and growing schools in the Western Cape. Education MEC David Maynier announced on Wednesday that the 477 teachers would be appointed in "growth posts". "It's a new teaching post added to accommodate additional learners, for example in a new classroom we have added," he explained. The province has been grappling with the loss of around 2,400 teacher posts due to budget cuts from National Treasury. The 477 new appointments come amid the construction of nine new schools and 265 classrooms as part of the department's Rapid School Build Programme. Of the buildings under construction, six new schools and 180 classrooms will be ready this month, while three new schools and 85 additional classrooms will be completed in March. According to Maynier, the province has been "hard hit by budget cuts". He indicated: "We've had to reduce the total number of posts in our schools, and that has made a difficult situation even more difficult. The growth posts will be used in the first instance in our new schools, but they will also be allocated to schools that are absorbing significant numbers of additional learners." Maynier stressed that the new appointments were a "separate process" to the reduction of posts across the province. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, Western Cape schools to receive 477 new teachers despite cuts, at Cape Argus Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Aspiring traffic officers in Western Cape warned not to fall for social media scam EWN reports that the Western Cape Mobility Department has warned aspiring traffic officers about a scam doing the rounds. Individuals are apparently being scammed into paying fees to attend the provincial Gene Louw Traffic Training College. Operating via social media, the scammers falsely claim to represent the college and request payments of R150 for registration forms and a further R3,000 for enrolment. Over the past few weeks, several people, believing they had secured training opportunities, arrived at the college only to find that they had been deceived. The training college has stressed that no payments are required to secure admission and that it does not communicate through social media platforms on recruitment or training opportunities. Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku said: "It's deeply concerning that scammers are preying on the hopes and ambitions of those seeking to serve our communities as traffic officers. The Western Cape Mobility Department will continue to take all the necessary steps to protect our citizens and maintain the trustworthiness of our recruitment processes. I urge everyone to remain cautious and report suspicious activity immediately." Sileku added that a case of fraud had been opened. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Lauren Isaacs at EWN
Camps Bay raids lead to arrests of workers and employers exploiting undocumented workers Cape Argus reports on a crackdown on the exploitation of undocumented workers likened to “slaves” in the Cape Town hospitality industry. The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), together with Home Affairs and stakeholders, continued conducting blitz inspections along the Atlantic Seaboard strip this month, which has so far resulted in the arrest of at least 13 people – 10 of those working in the country without proper documentation, and three of those employers. In a statement, the DEL said they carried out raids and inspections in Camps Bay, where they found a substantial amount of illegal immigrants working at restaurants, with the employers also held to account. “One of the employers was arrested on Friday, January 10, during a multi-departmental raid to enforce multi-disciplinary compliance in the restaurants,” the department said. The raid was conducted at Camps Bay, an affluent suburb of Cape Town. Rosemary Anderson of the Federated Hospitality Association of SA (Fedhasa) said they were working alongside the DEL to make sure businesses were compliant. “It’s a critical issue, and as a result of one of these meetings, the Department of Employment and Labour and Fedhasa are developing an initiative, which will be launched the first quarter of this year, to provide restaurant owners and hospitality businesses with practical solutions and clear guidelines to help reverse the trend of non-compliance,” Anderson said. James Chapman of the Scalabrini Centre in Cape Town called for rights of the illegal immigrants to be protected, saying: “It is also important for officials to assess whether individuals identified in an operation are asylum seekers or refugees as asylum seekers and refugees have the right to work and reside in the country and are protected against detention and deportation.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Genevieve Serra at Cape Argus
Five years or R20,000 fine for former primary school financial planner who stole R500,000 TimesLIVE reports that Lilian Adonis, a former financial planner at Fort Beaufort Primary School who stole more than R500,000 between January 2017 and July 2018, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment or a fine of R20,000 on Wednesday. The KwaMaqoma regional court in the Eastern Cape earlier found Adonis, 51, guilty of theft. She oversaw the school's financial transactions, including receiving, recording and banking school funds. Adonis received the money but failed to deposit it within the required time, with some funds left unbanked for up to 80 days. Despite Adonis denying any knowledge of the missing funds, the investigation triggered by an audit found that she had been solely responsible for handling the school's finances with other staff members only handling money during her absence. Prosecutor Thanduxolo Maxhaulana said Adonis' actions resulted in substantial financial losses for the school. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE Eastern Cape official to appear in court over alleged R150,000 fuel card fraud scheme News24 reports that an Eastern Cape government official is set to appear in court for allegedly misappropriating R150,000 from his department through a fuel fraud scheme. The 39-year-old, an office manager at the Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Chris Hani district, is alleged to have misused the department's fuel card between April 2022 and August 2022. Lieutenant-Colonel Avele Fumba said the alleged fraud was flagged by the department's assistant director of security management and anti-corruption services, who reportedly acted on a complaint regarding suspected misuse of fuel for a departmental vehicle. During a probe, the Hawks discovered that between April 2022 and August 2022 discrepancies were identified between the kilometres travelled and the fuel consumption of the vehicle. Investigations revealed that the official allegedly used the department-issued fleet card to refuel the designated vehicle at a petrol station but would then refuel another vehicle using the same card. The accused will make his first appearance on 31 January. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Secretary claims Eastern Cape judge president sent her explicit picture of himself BL Premium reports that judges’ secretary Andiswa Mengo told the Judicial Conduct Tribunal (JCT) on Wednesday that her boss, Eastern Cape judge president Selby Mbenenge, sent her an explicit picture of himself. The ongoing sexual harassment inquiry could lead to Mbenenge’s impeachment should he be found guilty. Mengo became emotional when she was asked by evidence leader advocate Salome Scheepers whether she remembered some of the WhatsApp messages she received from Mbenenge on 21 June 2021, which were subsequently deleted. She said one of the deleted messages from the judge president contained a picture of his private parts taken in a toilet cubicle. Mengo said there was no face in the picture. The deleted messages were followed by a message saying “BJ”, which she understood to mean “blow job”. Mbenenge has disputed sending “crude pictures” to Mengo. Earlier, she testified that Mbenenge had requested naked pictures of herself. According to the judicial conduct committee, which referred the matter to the tribunal, Mbenenge denied asking Mengo to “expose her upper body”. The judge also denied any impropriety on his part, arguing that communication between him and his subordinate was “consensual”. The hearing will continue on Thursday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Tribunal hears JP Mbenenge sent a picture of his ‘private parts’, at Sunday Times Daily (subscriber access only). And also, Tribunal asks complainant why she complimented the judge president she's accused of sex harassment, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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