In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
|
SA troops in DRC remained barricaded in their bases, down to one meal a day and waiting to be rescued Daily Maverick reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to attend a joint summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) in Dar es Salaam on Saturday to address the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who are the main belligerents in the deadly fighting over the past 12 days, will also attend the joint summit. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said it was “most likely” that Ramaphosa would attend. The joint summit was decided on by the EAC at a summit last week and agreed to by SADC at a summit in Harare on Friday. Fourteen SA were killed in fighting the M23 Congolese rebels, strongly backed by the Rwandan Defence Force. The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers are part of the SADC Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC), which is mandated to disarm the M23 rebels. It has been fighting them for more than a year but the fighting intensified on 23 January leading to the deaths of the 14 SANDF soldiers, some of whom were attached to the UN peacekeeping mission Monusco. Though SADC last December extended SAMIDRC’s mandate for a year until December 2025 and Ramaphosa suggested it would wind down only in accordance with confidence-building measures and a ceasefire, it is not clear that after the heavy losses over the past two weeks that it will remain in the DRC much longer. Its troops are surrounded in eastern DRC in deteriorating conditions. A military source reported on Monday that the SANDF troops in their two bases at Goma airport and at Mubambiro near Sake to the northwest, remained “barricaded in base, no hostilities. Down to one meal per day because UN tells them it can’t provide more. Awaiting orders.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Peter Fabricius at Daily Maverick Call by DA to scale down military role at Sona out of respect for SA troops in DRC The Citizen reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Speaker of Parliament seeking to reduce the military’s role at this week’s state of the nation address (Sona). The military displays are one of the highlights of the opening of parliament. However, the attacks on SA soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have left political parties and other groups concerned about the SA National Defense Force’s (SANDF) mission in the DRC. Fourteen SA soldiers have lost their lives in the peacekeeping mission in the DRC in recent weeks. DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans, Chris Hattingh, said toning down the military presence at the Sona would be sensible given the position SA troops in Congo were in. “The DA has written to the Speaker of Parliament, Thoko Didiza, urging the immediate scaling-down of military parade arrangements for the upcoming Sona on 6 February 2025,” Hattingh indicated. Hattingh added the DA was calling for the cancellation of the planned fly-over by the SA Air Force, given the dire situation facing the SANDF. There have been reports that the SA troops in the DRC are under-resourced and need cargo planes and other vital equipment. “It is inappropriate for government officials and dignitaries to be entertained by grand military displays while our soldiers, under-equipped and lacking critical support, are dying on foreign soil,” Hattingh pointed out. Meanwhile, parliament is expected to debate the deployment of the SANDF to Congo on Tuesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Itumeleng Mafisa at The Citizen
Rea Vaya bus driver killed in Soweto on Monday night, services suspended SABC News reports that police are investigating a murder case after a Rea Vaya bus driver was shot dead in Protea Glen, Soweto, last night. The driver had reportedly stopped at a traffic light along Wild Chestnut Street when he was shot by unknown suspects. The Rea Vaya Bus Company has temporarily suspended its services until further notice. It has advised passengers to use alternative transport in the interim, and that regular updates on the situation would be provided. Gauteng Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi advised: “The motive for the shooting is unknown at this stage, and the police are following up on all leads as the investigation continues.” The bus company said the incident has disrupted public transport services in the area, with authorities working to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Tshepo Phagane at SABC News. See too, Rea Vaya temporarily suspends services after shooting incident, at SABC News Four illegal Lesotho nationals arrested for killing of crime intelligence police officer at his home Sunday World reports that four Lesotho nationals were arrested on Saturday in connection with the killing of Free State police officer Constable Justice Sephooa. The officer, who was attached to the Ficksburg crime intelligence unit, was ambushed and brazenly shot and killed at his residence. Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale advised: “The four Lesotho nationals who are in South Africa illegally were arrested by a Free State multidisciplinary team led by Hawks’ serious organised crime investigation together with the North West Tactical Response Team (TRT) and the National Intervention Unit (NIU), after an intense investigation was launched to trace the suspects. They were located and arrested in Stilfontein, North West, then transferred to Bethlehem.” All four suspects will be appearing in the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday facing charges of murder. Similarly, four suspects have been arrested for the alleged killing of Free State police officers Constable Sipho Mohapi and Constable Gedione Motloung of Namahadi Visible Policing. Both officers were fatally shot while responding to a house robbery in Phuthaditjhaba on 4 January. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Koka at Sunday World. Lees ook, Vier verdink van moord op polisieman, by Maroela Media
Solidarity Movement wants Trump to punish ANC, not SA citizens, over land expropriation policy Polity reports that civil society organisation the Solidarity Movement says it will ask the Trump Administration to exercise pressure on the African National Congress (ANC) over its policies, but not to punish ordinary South Africans through measures that exacerbate unemployment or harm the vulnerable. “We do not like the ANC, but we love the country. At the same time more foreign pressure on the ANC is essential because the constitutional settlement is currently being violated, and the ANC continues to govern on its own while a government of national unity (GNU) is indeed in power,” said Solidarity Movement chairperson Flip Buys on Monday. This came as US President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw aid to SA owing to his view that the recently enacted Expropriation Act was leading to the confiscation of land. Following Trump’s comments, the SA Presidency denied that the government had confiscated any land. According to Buys, the US has a “major responsibility” to ensure that constitutional promises such as property rights, mother tongue schools and universities and the abolition of racial discrimination are fulfilled as those promises were instrumental in SA’s 1990 constitutional settlement. The Solidarity Movement has planned a series of diplomatic actions that will include discussions with local diplomats and visits to Washington. Meanwhile, Afrikaner interest group AfriForum echoed Solidarity’s stance and said it would write to the US government to request that the punitive measures that Trump wants to introduce against SA should rather target senior ANC leaders directly and not South Africans. Read the above report in full at Polity. Lees ook, Solidariteit Beweging aan Trump: ‘Straf ANC, nie gewone SA’ners’, by Maroela Media. And also, AfriForum calls on Trump to punish ANC politicians rather than ordinary SA citizens, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Merafe warns it may have to suspend ferrochrome furnaces, putting thousands of jobs at risk Fin24 reports that Merafe has launched a review of its struggling ferrochrome smelting business in SA and has warned some furnaces may be suspended in May this year should viable solutions not be found. Through its joint venture with Glencore Operations SA, Merafe on Monday said a business review process of its ferrochrome smelting business had been initiated as it assesses "potential measures to address the ongoing market challenges". The review follows sustained pressure from the prolonged economic downturn in the global ferrochrome market, "which pressures are not expected to ease in the near to medium term. Should the [venture] not be able to identify viable solutions to sustain profitability, it will begin to suspend certain of its ferrochrome furnaces in May 2025, thereby resulting in a significant reduction in Merafe's ferrochrome production," the company indicated. The Glencore-Merafe venture's operations consist of five ferrochrome smelting operations spanning the North-West and Limpopo provinces. The venture had 6,719 employees as of the end of December 2023. The JV also has four mines and two platinum group metals plants. Merafe said the venture was actively working with regulatory authorities to mitigate any continued adverse impacts and would continue to explore all viable alternatives in partnership with organised labour. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required) Nothing humanitarian about crime, says Mantashe on Stilfontein zama zama saga SowetanLive reports that Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) Minister Gwede Mantashe has slammed suggestions that illegal miners (zama zamas) people in a disused Stilfontein mining shaft last year were deserving of humanitarian aid after scores died underground. Mantashe delivered the opening address at the 2025 Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town on Monday morning. He led the government delegation to the indaba on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who could not attend. Mantashe said illicit trade and illegal mining were heavily prevalent in SA. He took a dim view of suggestions from non-government organisations that those rescued in Stilfontein should have been be afforded food and medical treatment underground. He stated: “South Africans say on humanitarian grounds, it’s a human rights issue, please protect the illegal miners. Give them food. Give them treatment. Give them this and that. And I ask: you want us to be humanitarian when dealing with criminals? What are we going to do when we must deal with people who are genuine and contributing to the economy?” He went on to say: “My view is that if you take a voluntary step to go into a dangerous place, it can’t be a humanitarian case. You are voluntarily in a dangerous place and the consequence of entering a dangerous place is that you get injured and sometimes die. It’s like committing suicide. Committing suicide can’t be a humanitarian case.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at SowetanLive Anglo’s unbundling of Amplats to be complete by mid-year, according to CEO Wanblad BL Premium reports that according to CEO Duncan Wanblad, Anglo American will be done with the unbundling and London listing of Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) by the middle of the year. But, the timing of its planned sale or listing of De Beers remains a question mark as it works to complete the radical restructuring it embarked on last year. Though there’s still speculation after last year’s failed bid that Australia’s BHP might have another go at taking over Anglo, Wanblad reiterated on Monday that the group was “singularly focused” on unlocking value in respect of the businesses it was separating, as well as those it was keeping in the restructuring. He declined to comment on the possibility of another takeover bid for Anglo itself. Anglo announced its “self-help” restructuring in May last year. Wanblad promised last year that the restructuring would be “substantially complete” by end-2025. The group sold its metallurgical coal assets in a series of deals last year. It also sold down its stake in Amplats to 67%, from almost 80%. The next step is to unbundle the remainder of the stake to Anglo shareholders, with a secondary listing of Amplats shares in London. Wanblad expects to complete this by mid-year. Meanwhile, analysts expect that the group’s 85% share of De Beers will be hard to divest, given the weak state of the diamond market and the questions that the rise of laboratory-grown diamonds have raised over its future. A sale is likely to be either to someone in the industry wanting to do consolidation, or a mid or downstream player that could help to create value for De Beers, Wanblad said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hilary Joffe at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other general posting(s) relating to mining
“All I want is a job” pleads unemployed doctor, in march on Treasury on Friday GroundUp reports that unemployed health graduates, who have been battling to get jobs despite their qualifications, marched in Pretoria on Friday to demand urgent action by the National Treasury. They also called for infrastructure at health facilities to improve and for staff shortages to be addressed. When Nobuhle Makhaya graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s medical school in 2021, she hoped not only to help her own family but to bring quality healthcare to patients in her community. But after nine years of training, including a two-year internship and completing her mandatory community service at Standerton Hospital in December, she remains unemployed. Makhaya has been applying for jobs at hospitals in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal with no luck. “All I want is a job. We know there are patients who don’t have doctors to take care of them because there is a shortage of doctors but here we are, unemployed,” she lamented. If the government can bailout dysfunctional state enterprises, it should also prioritise the health system, said Makhaya. She joined about 150 unemployed health graduates who marched through the city centre in Pretoria on Friday. The march was led by the SA Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) and supported by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa), the SA Medical Student Union, and Cosatu, among others. Protesters marched from the Union Buildings to Treasury’s offices. They claimed that more than 1,500 doctors were currently unemployed in the country. They called for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to be fired for failing to increase the budget for health workers. Stadi Mngomezulu of the National Treasury promised to respond to the marchers’ memorandum in two weeks. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Silver Sibiya at GroundUp
Bafana coach Hugo Broos relieved at government intervention to pay overdue player bonuses City Press reports that Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has expressed joy at the recent intervention of government to facilitate payment of overdue player bonuses. Speaking for the first time since Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie offered Safa a R5 million advance to pay players, Broos also disclosed that his salary had been paid late. McKenzie’s announcement in December came after news broke that Bafana players had gone months without receiving their incentives. This despite the team’s impressive recent run of results. It also came to light that the senior women's national team, Banyana Banyana, had also not been paid. Besides receiving daily stipends while in camp, it is still not public knowledge how much national players earned, with Safa citing confidentiality of contracts. But, the association announced two years ago that Bafana and Banyana players would get the same pay after years of outcry over the pay gap between the two teams. During a roundtable discussion with media last week, Broos was somewhat sympathetic towards his employer, Safa, regarding the financial difficulties the association was experiencing. He said: “I think everyone is paid now.” The dire situation has prompted McKenzie to call for a forensic investigation into Safa’s finances. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Daniel Mothowagae at City Press (subscription or trial registration required)
Two Ekurhuleni municipal workers arrested for allegedly stealing a TLB vehicle from Brakpan depot in December News24 reports that an internal investigation by the City of Ekurhuleni has resulted in the arrest of two employees in connection with the theft of a TLB (tractor loader backhoe). The TLB was taken from the municipal depot in Brakpan in December. According to municipal spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the TLB was illegally removed without authorisation to perform private work in Vosloorus, where it was last seen. Following investigations, two employees were arrested on Monday morning in connection with the missing vehicle. The City is assisting the police in their investigation. The City's member of the mayoral committee for roads and transport management, Andile Mngwevu, welcomed the arrest of the two employees. He indicated: "We cannot allow such thuggery to persist in our space without consequences. We are here to serve the community. This is public money that we must protect to ensure that whatever infrastructure we purchase with public funds serves our people. When you steal from us, we open a case and the police make the arrest. We do not subscribe to such activities.” He added that the municipality was making every effort to recover the missing machinery. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). See too, Two Ekurhuleni municipal workers arrested for stealing municipality tractor-loader-backhoe, at IOL News Mashatile’s VIP protection officers accused of N1 assault back in court on Monday SABC News reports that the case against eight former members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP Protection unit was due to continue in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The officers were arrested after allegedly being caught on video assaulting civilians on the side of the N1 highway in Joburg in July 2023. They are out on R10,000 bail each and have since returned to work. They face several charges including assault, malicious damage to property and the pointing of a firearm. The victims, confirmed to be military trainees, were driving from Potchefstroom to a military base in Pretoria when they were allegedly assaulted. The first witness, who was the driver, testified last year about how he was beaten up, lost consciousness and left on the side of the road. The second witness also described how he was dragged out of the vehicle and assaulted. The lawyer for the accused claimed the officers had to use “minimum force” to ensure compliance, adding that the occupants of the car were drunk and driving recklessly. Meanwhile, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police said it was concerned about the delay in consequence management at the SA Police Service, including Mashatile’s VIP Protection. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Nine buses destroyed in a North West depot fire on Monday night City Press reports that at least nine buses were destroyed in a mystery fire at the North West Transport Investment (NTI) depot in Moretele village in the early hours of Monday morning. MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng, expressed dismay at the incident. In a statement, the department said a case had been opened with police and that the investigation would also establish the extent of the damage. Morweng commented: “We have recently turned a new leaf with our intervention at the entity by addressing the leadership instability experienced for some time now. We have also ensured that employees received their salaries as promised. Therefore we believe that we have made great effort to assist the entity in realising its full potential. This however is a set back and overall unfortunate incident.” He added that it was unclear if the incident was an accident or an act of sabotage, and called on relevant authorities to deal with the matter decisively. In the meantime, the department as a shareholder in the company will continue to play a supportive role in order to ensure that service delivery is not compromised and that commuters are not left stranded. The incident comes just a week after 51 Putco buses were torched in a coordinated attack at several depots in the former KwaNdebele homeland in Mpumalanga. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at City Press (subscription or trial registration required)
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page