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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Five suspects accused of killing Mpumalanga police officer Piet Pretorius in apparent ‘hit’ appear in court News24 reports that five suspects accused of involvement in the murder Lieutenant-Colonel Piet Pretorius, 59, made a second, brief appearance in court on Monday. Mthobisi Nkosi, 40, a former police officer; and four others appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate's Court where the case was postponed to 27 January for further investigation. The five suspects were arrested within 12 hours after Pretorius was shot and killed in a hail of AK-47 bullets in what was seemingly a ‘hit’. He was apparently on his way to see an informant when an armed suspect accosted him. Pretorius was travelling in his police bakkie on Havenga Street at around 13:00 on Friday. He had just turned into Doctor Nichol Street, which leads to the industrial area, when a man standing on the corner opened fire. The suspect then allegedly fled the scene in a white BMW. Eight bullets hit Pretorius' Isuzu bakkie and he was shot seven times in the neck, chest, arm, and stomach. Pretorius was airlifted by helicopter but died shortly after arriving at Ermelo Mediclinic. At the time of his murder, Pretorius was apparently investigating a former police officer who was allegedly involved in a vehicle theft syndicate. It is believed he was close to arresting the suspects when he was killed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Buks Viljoen at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Bus driver shot dead in Phoenix, KZN, on Monday morning IOL News reports that a 33-year-old bus driver was shot dead in Westham, Phoenix on Monday morning. Private security company Reaction Unit SA (RUSA) said they responded to reports of a shooting at around 5:30 am. RUSA boss Prema Balram said that on arrival, reaction officers discovered the white bus partially off the road. He said the driver was shot multiple times and died before paramedics could arrive. Allegedly three occupants of a white Toyota Etios (registration unknown) opened fire on the bus before they sped off. Balram said there were no passengers in the vehicle at the time of the shooting. The motive for the murder is unknown at this stage. Nothing was stolen. KZN police spokesperson Robert Nethsuinda said the driver was reversing the bus in his yard when he was gunned down. A case of murder has been opened. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jolene Marriah-Maharaj at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Hospitalised zama zama dies after rescue from Stilfontein mine News24 reports that a suspected illegal miner (zama zama) who had been hospitalised following the rescue operation at a disused Stilfontein mine has died. The man, identified as Koali Rankomo, was admitted after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis and dehydration. The North West Department of Health said the man died in the early hours of Monday morning at Klersdorp/Tshepong Tertiary Hospital in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda municipality. "The deceased patient was part of a cohort of 33 illegal miners admitted at the hospital, under police guard, following their arrest last week at the disused mine in Stilfontein in the national rescue operation," the department indicated in a statement. It added: "The department wishes to put it on record that so far, only 32 suspected illegal miners are under its care, with police keeping a hawkish eye on them." The man was one of hundreds of zama zamas retrieved from a shaft at Stilfontein's Buffelsfontein gold mine. According to police, 87 bodies were retrieved from the shafts between Monday and Wednesday last week before the operation was called off. Two hundred and forty-six zama zamas retrieved from underground were arrested during the same period, with the bulk of them being foreign nationals. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Sibiya at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Police search for escaped Lesotho gang leader of illegal Stilfontein miners Reuters reports that police have launched a manhunt for a Lesotho gang member believed to have controlled operations at the illegal Stilfontein gold mine during a police siege. The alleged kingpin, known as “Tiger,” surfaced from the mine while it was under police surveillance, but escaped from custody with the help of officials, the SA Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Monday. “Extensive investigations and tracing operations are under way to find those officials who aided his escape between shaft 11 and the Stilfontein police holding cells,” the statement indicated. Police were widely condemned for the months-long operation in which they cut off food and water supplies to the miners in an attempt to force them out of the mine to face arrest. The stand-off culminated in a state-sponsored rescue operation last week in which 246 survivors were retrieved from the deep mine, many of whom were emaciated and weak from hunger. Seventy-eight bodies were recovered. Police claim the gang leaders were to blame for the deaths, citing reports from some miners that there was food underground but the kingpins kept it for themselves. Tiger was named in statements by miners as a ring leader who ran operations. “He is also being accused by some illegal miners … [of] being allegedly responsible for some deaths, assault and torture that is alleged to have taken place according to videos in police possession. He is also alleged to have hoarded and kept food away from other illegal miners,” the police stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nellie Peyton at BusinessLive. Read too, Alleged Stilfontein mining kingpin 'Tiger' escapes police custody, at IOL News. And also, Manhunt for Stilfontein ringleader who escaped from custody, at SowetanLive EFF to report Kunene to Human Rights Commission for his comments on illegal miners The Citizen reports that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) intends to report City of Johannesburg MMC for Transport and deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Kenny Kunene, to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for his comments on illegal miners. Kunene has been in the headlines for his remarks regarding the illegal miners who were rescued at a disused Stilfontein mine in recent weeks, saying he felt no sympathy for those who had died. He further called for harsher sentences on those found to be illegally mining in SA. On Sunday, Kunene shared a picture on X of slaughtered animals and wrote: “This is the chilling fate that awaits all illegal miners robbing South Africans of their natural resources and wealth when the Patriotic Alliance takes over government. Salute.” In a statement on Sunday, the EFF described Kunene’s comments as a “harmful” and “disgraceful” attempt to seek public and electoral favour through the use of hate. “Kunene’s comments represent the lowest level of opportunism and are the hallmarks of sadistic and pathological commitment to dehumanisation and an infatuation with genocide,” said the EFF. The party said it would also approach the City of Joburg’s Committee to impose sanctions on Kenny Kunene who serves as a councillor in the city and sits on the executive. It will moreover “explore mechanisms” through the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to impose sanctions on the Patriotic Alliance as an organisation that contests elections. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Vhahangwele Nemakonde at The Citizen. Read too, ‘I am not fazed’: Kenny Kunene responds to EFF criticism over illegal miner comments, at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Record hike in the minimum wage last year didn't trigger jobs bleed, study finds Fin24 reports that the 2024 increase in the national minimum wage (NMW), which was the biggest increase since the measure’s introduction in 2019, did not cause significant job losses or reduced working hours. But, only 20% of the 5.4 million eligible workers benefitted from increased pay. In 2024, the NMW increased by 8.5%, namely 3.2 percentage points above inflation, bringing hourly pay to R27.58 and pay for a 40-hour week to R4,744 for This raised fears of a negative economic impact. A research paper published last month by UCT's Development Policy Research Unit for the NMW commission found that the negative impact of the rise was small but underlined that employer compliance was very low. According to Stats SA, 5.4 million people earned below the minimum wage and were entitled to a wage hike. However, the study says only 19% benefitted from the full increase. Due to the spillover effect, a larger group of low-paid workers also experienced pay rises when the minimum wage rose, taking the proportion of those who benefitted from higher wages to 27%. The study found that the negative economic impact of the hike was minimal. Employment in this cohort reduced slightly – by 3.4% – and working hours reduced by around 3%, suggesting that some employers cut working hours to deal with the increase. Zwelinzima Vavi of the SA Federation of Trade Unions called on the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) to strengthen compliance. The NMW commission has proposed to the DEL that the increase for 2025 should be December CPI (not yet published) plus 1.5%. The proposal was published last month for comment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Woman collapses in long queue at Pretoria labour office while waiting to apply for UIF benefits GroundUp reports that a Pretoria mother was taken to a health facility on Friday after collapsing while waiting for hours at the labour office in the city centre. The woman was waiting in line with her baby, apparently to apply for Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits, when she suddenly fell ill. Her exact condition is not known, but she remained conscious and was taken to the nearest health facility by ambulance. GroundUp was at the office on Friday after readers complained of having to wait in long lines in Pretoria because the department’s office in Mamelodi has been closed since August last year due to “safety concerns”. At 10am the two queues outside the labour office were still very long, and the one for UIF stretched down Skinner Street. People in Mamelodi and neighbouring communities wanting to claim UIF benefits or to report work-related problems have had to travel to the already overburdened city centre labour office. Mamelodi residents in line at the labour office on Friday claimed that staff members at the Pretoria labour centre often turned them back to get additional documents when applying for UIF, which meant they have had to spend more money on travel. Joel Machabaphala from Mamelodi said he lost his job as a security guard last year and it costs him R110 for a round trip each time to the Pretoria labour office. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Warren Mabona at GroundUp
Cosatu and DA both oppose centralised SOE model BL Premium reports that the release of the National State Enterprises Bill for public comment has created strange bedfellows between labour federation Cosatu and the Democratic Alliance (DA), with both opposing the legislation in its current form. The bill outlines the government’s plans to establish a single holding company for state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The draft legislation was released on Friday and paves the way for the establishment of the State Asset Management company, which would be used to phase out the department of public enterprises and move strategic SOEs from government departments to the holding company. The establishment of the holding company falls to planning, monitoring and evaluation minister Maropene Ramokgopa, following the dissolution of the public enterprises department, which was responsible for five SOEs in its portfolio. Though the ANC-aligned Cosatu and the DA have previously clashed on various labour related issues, both argue that placing SOEs under a single company could be cumbersome considering the vast array of SOEs. Ramokgopa has been quoted as planning to list the SOEs on the JSE, as part of the government’s plans to attract private partners for struggling state companies. Cosatu opposes this. “Nowhere in the bill does it provide for that. We would not support that if it did,” Cosatu’s Matthew Parks indicated. The DA says the centralised model for SOEs would pave the way for state capture and corruption. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Employers who default on paying over pension fund contributions in line of fire BL Premium reports that the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) is exploring ways to ensure defaulting employers pay outstanding contributions to pension funds amounting to more than R5bn. Thousands of employers have failed to make their obligatory contributions, a practice particularly prevalent among municipalities and in the private security industry. Zareena Camroodian, who is head of fund governance and trustee conduct in the FSCA retirement fund division, said the authority met with Nedlac and planned to meet the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) this week about this problem. “At Nedlac, we are trying to get all the social partners and relevant parties in the room to collectively try to resolve the issue of arrear contributions. A dashboard will be developed with various metrics to track the progress made during these sessions,” Camroodian said. The FSCA is also working with the Department of Employment and Labour about possible amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) to deal with the payment of arrear pension fund contributions by employers. The Pension Funds Act makes it a criminal offence not to pay pension fund contributions, liable on conviction to a R10m fine or 10 years imprisonment. Camroodian said the challenge was a number of police stations did not understand that nonpayment of contributions constituted a criminal offence. “We are engaging the NPA so that they may take on a number of cases so that a loud and clear message is sent out that delinquent employers will not be tolerated,” Camroodian said. It is incumbent on retirement fund boards to institute legal action to recover outstanding contributions and to report contraventions to the SAPS, but they have largely failed to do so. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Sassa official placed on leave amid misconduct investigation after confrontation with clients IOL News reports that the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) official seen in a video in an angry exchange with grant clients has been placed on leave while an investigation takes place. The incident was recorded by a client who visited the Dundee local office. In the video, an official is seen exchanging words and shouting at clients. One client says that since their arrival at the office, the official has exhibited a problem. Another of the clients says they will report the official and she responds “go now” as she does not care. On Monday, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga visited the Sassa Dundee local office on a fact-finding mission. Shinga welcomed Sassa’s swift intervention. She also condemned the incident and assured the public that such incidents and any form of misconduct or abuse of power by officials would not be tolerated. “We are pleased to see that today offices are operating as normal. We have engaged our officials and also addressed our clients to assure them that necessary actions have been taken against the said official,” Shinga stated. The department said the official in the video was placed on leave to allow the investigation to run unhindered. However, should the leave period expire before the investigation was completed, the official would report to another office temporarily. The investigation is expected to be concluded in a month. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thobeka Ngema at IOL News Samwu condemns Tshwane’s bid to review court order lifting suspensions of officials in Rooival tender saga IOL News reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in Gauteng has publicly backed five senior City of Tshwane officials who were suspended due to their alleged involvement in the irregular awarding of a R295 million tender. The tender in question was awarded to Edwin Sodi's company, Blackhead Consulting, for the refurbishment of the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant. However, the City was forced to terminate the agreement due to delays with the quality of the work on the site, exacerbated by continuous stalling of the project. The five implicated officials have been on paid suspension since April last year pending the finalisation of an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which recently announced it had concluded part of its probe into the Rooiwal plant tender. The officials contested the city's action at the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC), arguing their suspensions were unfair. The council ruled in their favour in December 2024 and ordered reinstatement of the officials by January 20, 2025. However, the city filed an application with the Labour Court, seeking a review and overturning of the arbitration award issued by the council. Samwu’s Dumisane Magagula condemned the city’s decision to pursue a review of the bargaining council arbitration award, saying it was “reckless” and “a clear and disgraceful affront to the country’s labour laws, collective agreements, and the fundamental principles of justice and fairness.” He dismissed the city's assertion that the proceedings and subsequent ruling at the bargaining council were flawed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rapula Moatshe at IOL News
Judge President Mbenenge sent picture of penis to other court officials, claims Mengo BL Premium reports that judges secretary Andiswa Mengo told a judicial conduct tribunal on Monday that Eastern Cape judge president Selby Mbenenge sent pictures of his penis to other court officials in addition to herself. She was testifying before the tribunal investigating a sexual harassment complaint she laid against her boss. Mengo has accused Mbenenge of making “unwarranted” sexual advances towards her at work and on WhatsApp conversations from June 2021 until November 2022. Mbenenge has denied the allegations, arguing that the communication between them was “consensual”. He has also denied sending Mengo explicit pictures. Evidence leader advocate Salome Scheepers questioned Mengo about a slew of WhatsApp messages she included in her initial complaint but were not part of the messages that a phone expert compiled for the tribunal. One of these messages contained a screenshot of a penis, which Mengo sent to two of her colleagues. When Mengo sent the picture to her colleague, Brenda Nguta-Jobela without telling her who it was from the latter said: “Who is this? Is it Mbenenge? He is the only person who sends such pictures to people.” Nguta-Jobela confirmed that others had received explicit pictures from Mbenenge. Mengo said she had also informed her late colleague, Noluthando Kona, about the situation. The pictures were sent to her colleagues for safekeeping and to inform them of her conversations with Mbenenge, she said. This was not the first time Mengo testified Mbenenge sent her a picture of his penis. Earlier on Monday, Mengo testified Mbenenge persisted in asking her for a picture of her genitals. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
New 'Afrikaans Uber' in Gauteng only employs drivers who can speak Afrikaans News24 reports that a new e-hailing business, which only employs drivers who can speak Afrikaans, has been launched in Centurion and Pretoria. Called Wanatu, which is a play on the Afrikaans expression "Waarnatoe?" (Where to?), the company, which is funded by private investors, was launched in October last year. While speaking Afrikaans competently is a prerequisite for drivers employed by Wanatu, according to CEO Judith van der Walt, anyone can use the service as the platform's app has an English translation button for users. Afrikaans doesn't have to be the home language of its employees, with Van der Walt saying its drivers are from various demographic groups. While the service wants to compete with the likes of Uber and Bolt, Van der Walt says it is also focusing on school e-hailing and airport shuttle services. Each car has seven tracking devices and drivers have panic buttons. The company also has a control room that monitors the drivers. The group directly employs 90 drivers who transport passengers in a fleet of Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid vehicles. The company employs drivers rather than subcontracting their services as a safety precaution. "They earn a salary whether they do one ride or 50 rides for the day, and the reason for that is we do not want to motivate volumes of rides," said Van der Walt. The group has received more than 1,000 applications to date from prospective drivers, who have to go through a rigorous process to qualify as a driver for the group. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nick Wilson at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required)
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