In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Primary school principal killed in a hail of bullets and wife injured outside Kraaifontein school The Citizen reports that Thursday morning’s shooting of a Western Cape primary school principal and his wife has left the community in shock after unidentified men approached the couple and opened fire at them outside the school. The community of Bloekombos, in Kraaifontein, is in mourning following the fatal shooting of the principal of Ekuthuleni Primary School while pupils were arriving for school. At around 7am, the 54-year-old principal and his wife stopped their car at the school’s entrance on Henzikile Street, Wallacedene. Three unidentified males approached the couple’s car and opened fire at them, leading to the principal’s death and the injury of his wife. Western Cape police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk said the wife was admitted to the hospital, but the suspects fled the scene in an unknown vehicle. Education activist Hendrick Makaneta condemned “this heinous act” and called for urgent improvement of safety measures in and around schools. “Schools should be sanctuaries of learning and development, not places where violence is allowed to take root,” he pointed out. He also called for the government and other basic education stakeholders to address the root causes of community violence. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chulumanco Mahamba at The Citizen Sadtu calls for increased police presence at schools after principal’s murder in Kraaifontein IOL News reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) has called for police visibility around schools following the brutal murder of a school principal in Kraaifontein, Cape Town. Dr Jeffery P. Sigudla was driving into Ekuthuleni Primary School with his wife when they were attacked on Thursday morning, in Bloekombos, Kraaifontein. The principal died at the scene while his widow was shot in the leg and rushed to hospital. Western Cape police have launched a manhunt for the suspects. School Governing Body (SGB) member Linda Pito said the motive was unknown. Sadtu’s Sibongile Kwazi lamented that this was an unfortunate situation. He said: “We need teachers, alive, and Sadtu recently launched a campaign called I’m a school fan, calling for safety in school, calling for the communities, learners and teachers to ensure schools are safe. This falls against our own campaign. We are calling upon the police to leave no stone unturned to apprehend the perpetrators and to be visible in schools in violent areas, especially in the morning and afternoon because in the cases where teachers were shot at school it happened in the early mornings before the school. If there were police, we believe this would not have happened.” Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais said: the case was receiving the highest priority. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mandilakhe Tshwete at IOL News
Denosa security surveillance systems at government clinics must be insourced: SABC News reports that Simon Hlungwani, president of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa), has called on government to insource surveillance security at clinics that operate for 24-hours. This after two nurses were abducted, robbed and raped last week by an armed assailant at the Chuene Clinic outside Polokwane in Limpopo while on duty. Hlungwani was speaking at the union’s three-day Provincial Congress in Benoni, Ekurhuleni. Delegates from all five regions of Gauteng converged to discuss nursing-specific issues, as well as the safety and security of nurses in healthcare facilities. Hlungwani said panic buttons were urgently needed. “With regards to security we are saying as Denosa, there must be adequate security, surveillance cameras to see the movement of what is happening in and out of the clinic at a particular point. To address the security challenges, we are calling on the government to insource security so that they get control of how the security must conduct themselves. We need the whole system of the clinic to have a panic button that is responsive and talking to the police.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Puseletso Mokoena at SABC News
'Severe consequences coming' for staff at Gqeberha hospital who conducted 'inhumane' strike over overtime pay News24 reports that the Eastern Cape Department of Health said on Thursday there would be severe consequences for Dora Nginza Hospital staff after an illegal three-day strike placed patients' lives at risk. The Gqeberha-based hospital was thrown into chaos when nurses downed tools and demanded overtime pay. Maintenance, general, and clerical staff also participated in the strike. Starting on Monday, protesting staff burnt tyres and blocked entry to the facility by barricading roads and locking the gates. The protesters refused to let ambulances in or out, and according to one staff member, those who did not want to take part were physically removed from the wards and forced to protest. The protesters closed the kitchen, and sick patients went left hungry. Department spokesperson Siyanda Manana described the actions of striking staff as "inhumane", warning that although the strike died down on Thursday morning, it did not mean these staff members would be let off the hook. He said there were fortunately no injuries or fatalities because of the strike, but patients and staff were left "traumatised". According to the department's information, the striking workers were each only owed eight hours of overtime. Manana said the owed overtime payment had been authorised and should be reflected in the employees’ accounts by 10 February. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, Health workers bring Gqeberha hospital to a standstill over unpaid overtime, at GroundUp
Mining industry records lowest number of fatalities in 2024, but doesn’t include zama zama deaths The Citizen reports that deaths and injuries in SA mines were at an all-time low in 2024, says Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe. His department gave a presentation on Thursday outlining the health and safety statistics across the industry. The long-term goal of the mining industry is the ultimate aim of zero physical harm to mineworkers. The industry employs roughly 480,000 mine workers, of which over 300,000 are contract workers. In 2024, the mining industry recorded 42 fatalities, which was down from 55 in 2023 and 49 in 2022. By sector, gold mines saw the loss of 11 lives, platinum recorded 19 fatalities and coal registered six. The remaining sectors recorded a combined total of six. Mantashe said no disasters had occurred last year, explaining that a disaster qualified as an accident that featured the loss of five or more lives. The overall injury rate was down 16% from the previous year. Neither Mantashe nor chief inspector of mines David Msiza elaborated on the recent developments in Stilfontein, which the minister labelled a “crime scene”. Mantashe firmly stated that illegal mining activities were not considered when compiling the statistics or research. “We remain convinced that illegal mining is not a mining activity but a criminal activity, and it is a war on the economy,” said Mantashe. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jarryd Westerdale at The Citizen. Read too, Fatalities on South African mines fell to record low in 2024, at Miningmx Gwede Mantashe doubles down on his stance against illegal mining BL Premium reports that at a presentation on Thursday of the mining industry’s 2024 safety statistics, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) Minister Gwede Mantashe doubled down on his stance against illegal mining. He said: “As we release these statistics, we are conscious of the severity of illegal mining that has engulfed the SA mining industry. Our view on illegal mining remains unchanged. Illegal mining is a criminal activity and a war on the economy. There can be no two ways about it.” He reiterated remarks made during his visit last week to the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, where the bodies of 78 illegal miners were retrieved despite the government’s initial reluctance to fund a rescue mission. He said the illicit precious metal trade cost SA’s economy R60bn last year. “The truth of the matter is that those that are involved in illegal mining, both the syndicates and the active illegal miners, have no regard for the health and safety of others, nor are they concerned about the laws that regulate the industry. They are in it for their own selfish gains and have no regard for the country,” he pointed out. Mantashe said the government would continue its fight against illegal mining through Operation Vala Umgodi, the project by the police to crack down on illegal mining nationwide. “We wish to assure the nation that the state will not take responsibility for the reckless actions of illegal miners,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Illegal mining is a criminal activity, it must be dealt with by the police, says Mantashe, at EWN Police officers investigated for allegedly aiding escape of notorious zama zama kingpin 'Tiger' News24 reports that North West police have intensified their investigation into police officers suspected of assisting notorious Lesotho national and alleged Stilfontein zama zama kingpin James Neo Tshoaeli, popularly known as "Tiger", in his escape. Acting provincial commissioner Major-General Patrick Asaneng stated that their investigation into Tiger's escape centered around some officers who were present at the abandoned Buffelsfontein Gold Mine's Shaft 11 last Wednesday when he disappeared. According to a police insider, investigators already collected statements from "officers of interest". Tshoaeli vanished after resurfacing at the shaft and was taken in a police vehicle to be detained at the Stilfontein police station. However, he never arrived at the station. Regarding how the police found out about Tshoaeli's disappearance, Asaneng explained that some illegal miners who resurfaced with him reported complaints to the police. Tiger is accused of assaulting, killing, and hoarding food from other illegal miners underground. Asaneng said they were honing in on the alleged crooked cops. "We know who from our members were on duty at the shaft. Therefore, we are not just investigating. We know who the possible culprits in this matter are," Asaneng indicated. Two zama zamas who spent months underground with Tshoaeli claimed he might have used gold or cash to bribe the officers facilitating his release. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, How did Stilfontein kingpin 'Tiger' escape? Police boss points fingers at 'corrupt' cops within his ranks, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). En ook, Stilfontein: ‘Korrupsie’ rede dat baasbrein kon vlug, by Maroela Media Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Tshwane is struggling to address e-hailing permit backlog, MMC tells protesting drivers EWN reports that the City of Tshwane says it is grappling with a backlog in issuing e-hailing permits, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded and unable to operate legally. On Thursday, large numbers of Uber, Bolt, and Indrive operators marched from Wespark Primary School to Tshwane House, demanding permits and the regulation of their industry. Under the city’s by-laws, drivers are barred from transporting passengers without valid permits. The slow processing of issuing permits is fueling frustration. Outside Tshwane House, Transport MMC Tlangi Mogale faced a sea of frustrated drivers and conceded that the metro was struggling to address the permit crisis. Mogale also revealed that foreign nationals without the necessary documents had complicated the system further, adding to the backlog. "We can’t claim our hands are completely clean. Our officials have been found wanting in some cases, and the backlog has made it difficult to process new applications," he indicated. After a tense standoff with police, the drivers handed over their memorandum to Mogale before making their way to the Union Buildings. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mongezi Koko at EWN. Read too, Tshwane e-hailing drivers threaten app shutdown in protest over permit issues, at News24
WCED denies cutting teacher posts from schools in poor areas SABC News reports that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has denied allegations of only cutting contract teacher posts from schools in poor areas. This after research and education consultant, Dr Seelan Naidoo claimed that over 400 public schools in the wealthy suburbs of Cape Town were spared from teacher job cuts. He also accused the department of trying to conceal this information. In August last year, provincial Education MEC, David Maynier announced that 2,407 teacher posts in public schools would be cut this month. According to the department’s spokesperson, Kerry Mauchline, cuts were made using a post provisioning model given by national government. “So, what happens. You have a computerized model that takes into account for each school, a whole lot of factors. It takes into account class sizes, workload of teachers, the size of the school, curriculum, the poverty of the surrounding areas and a couple of other factors. And so, when you change the total number of posts and reduce it, that’s naturally going to have an impact on that equation and can result in the school having fewer posts. So, to claim that its only rich schools that have not had post cuts is factually false,” Mauchline stated. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Viola May at SABC News
André de Ruyter’s new job BusinessTech reports that André de Ruyter, the former CEO of Eskom, has embarked on a new chapter in his career, transitioning to the global arena of climate action and sustainable development. He has been appointed as a board member at Verra. This appointment marks a significant shift for de Ruyter, who departed Eskom in February 2023 under a cloud of controversy after exposing deeply entrenched corruption within the organisation. Verra, a non-profit organisation, plays a pivotal role in the environmental and social markets by managing high-integrity standards programs for climate action. This includes the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, which stands as one of the world’s leading greenhouse gas crediting programs. De Ruyter’s wealth of experience in the energy sector and expertise would undoubtedly contribute to the organisation’s mission of driving impactful climate action, said the organisation. During his tenure as Eskom’s CEO, de Ruyter began the development of a comprehensive corporate strategy aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of the utility, recognised as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the African continent. This strategy involved a Just Energy Transition (JET) plan, which included creating a dedicated JET office to facilitate the repurposing and repowering of decommissioned power stations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malcolm Libera at BusinessTech Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Court orders King Cetshwayo District Municipality to absorb 600 workers from service provider The Mercury reports that the King Cetshwayo District Municipality (KCDM) in Zululand has been ordered in terms of a Labour Court judgment to employ more than 600 workers that it “inherited” from a service provider. The municipality recently lost an appeal at the Labour Appeal Court (LAC), where it had sought to nullify a judgment handed down by the Labour Court that found that the workers should be absorbed by the municipality. At the centre of the dispute is whether the employees who have been working for a service provider, Water and Sanitation Services SA, should be absorbed into the municipality. It was argued by a labour union that because these workers were employed expressly to provide a service to the municipality, they fell under Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act, meaning they should not be affected should the municipality terminate the agreement with the service provider. In its initial application, Water and Sanitation Services SA argued that its workers had been transferred to the municipality after its contract with the municipality ended. In his 2020 judgment, Judge André van Niekerk of the Labour Court ruled in favour of the service provider, asserting that after its contract with the municipality expired, it transferred assets back to the municipality. This asset transfer included the staff who had been working for the company. The municipality objected to this finding and appealed to the LAC. The municipality has steadfastly denied that there was a Section 197 transfer, arguing that the service provider was attempting to avoid its financial obligations by transferring the employees. The LAC handed down its judgment earlier this month and dismissed the municipality’s appeal. But, the municipality said in a statement that it planned to appeal the judgment. The effect of an appeal would suspend the immediate implementation of the judgment, it maintained. Thulani Ngwenya of the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of SA (Matusa) said the previous appeal by KCDM had been a waste of taxpayers' money and even if they took the matter to the Constitutional Court, the outcome would be the same. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thami Magubane at The Mercury
Mbenenge sexual harassment probe shines a light on power relations in judiciary TimesLIVE reports that the power dynamic in the relationship between Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge and judges’ secretary Andiswa Mengo, who has accused Mbenenge of sexual harassment, was the focus of Mengo’s cross-examination on Wednesday. It could become an important factor for the tribunal in ultimately determining whether the judge president is guilty. A leading 2016 Labour Appeal Court judgment said sexual harassment “at its core” was about “the exercise of power” and “in the main reflects the power relations that exist both in society generally and specifically within a particular workplace”. As the first judicial conduct tribunal to probe sexual harassment by a judge, the tribunal may reveal how power relations manifest in the judiciary and test how the judicial disciplinary system treats harassment allegations. In an earlier ruling, the tribunal’s chair, retired Gauteng judge president Bernard Ngoepe, seemed aware of this. He said constituting the tribunal already sent a “strong and unequivocal message” that it did not matter how junior someone was, their sexual harassment complaint “would be diligently investigated and appropriate steps taken against the accused person irrespective of their seniority”. The subject of power relations has an additional significance in the facts of this case because Mengo said the unequal power relationship between the two was why she did not always respond with a clear “no” to his advances and why she sometimes responded in a sexual way. An essential requirement of sexual harassment, in law, is that the advances of the alleged harasser are unwanted and unwelcome. Mbenenge’s counsel has suggested to her that her responses were reasonably open to another interpretation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Franny Rabkin at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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