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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Government signs three-year public sector wage deal, with a 5.5% increase for 2025/2026 BL Premium reports that the government and unions representing SA’s more than 1.3-million public servants have signed a three-year wage deal that will see teachers, soldiers, nurses and doctors receiving an above-inflation pay hike of 5.5% in 2025/26. Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) general secretary Frikkie de Bruin said on Wednesday the wage negotiations were concluded after a majority agreement of 84.34% was secured following a 21-day consultation period. Consumer price inflation is forecast to average 4.5% in 2025. Wage increases for 2026/27 and 2027/28 will be linked to the consumer price index (CPI). The 5.5% deal cements the R700bn-plus wage bill as a big factor amid SA’s efforts to stabilise its finances. As sweeteners to the pay deal, the government offered various increases to allowances, including the homeowners’ allowance (from R1,784 to R1,900 effective from 1 April); danger allowance (R632.29 to R650); special danger allowance (R931.82 to R950); and service allowance for police (R700 to R950). Allowances pertaining to the death grant, childcare and breastfeeding facilities, recruitment policy, bursary scheme for public servants’ dependents, standardisation of uniform policy, and comprehensive danger insurance, among other things, will be researched and position papers developed for future negotiations. The PSCBC commended both employer and labour parties for their dedication and constructive engagement in working towards the agreement. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
National budget ‘delayed’ until 12 March as GNU cracks over VAT increase BL Premium reports that parliamentary speaker Thoko Didiza announced on Wednesday afternoon that the 2025 national budget speech had been “delayed” to 12 March, an unprecedented move in post-apartheid SA. The decision came after the government of national unity (GNU) partners failed to agree on hiking the VAT rate from 15% to 17% as the budget proposed, and cabinet failed to sign off on it on Wednesday. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been resolute in its opposition to a VAT increase. The delay came hours after it was reported that the Treasury would increase social grants by above inflation, freeze the fuel levy and increase the basket of zero-rated goods to shield the poor from the decision to hike VAT for only the second time in democratic SA. DA leader John Steenhuisen said the last-minute postponement came about because of the failure by the ANC and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana “to engage meaningfully” with the alternative proposals they had tabled. He said the DA opposed a proposed increase in VAT because it would “break the back” of SA’s economy. “We will now fight to introduce a new budget that is anchored in growing the economy, rather than increasing taxes or debt,” he said. IG senior market analyst Shaun Murison said: “The delay introduces uncertainty into the economic outlook and raises questions about the GNU’s ability to reach consensus on critical fiscal policies.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hilary Joffe at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, High drama as Godongwana's budget is rejected in VAT showdown, at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required) National budget postponement is a “blessing in disguise”, says Cosatu GroundUp reports that the postponement of the 2025 national budget was a “blessing in disguise”, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) provincial chair Motlatsi Tsubane said on Wednesday. The budget speech by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was postponed at the last minute amid concerns about tax increases. The speech will now be delivered on 12 March. Tsubane said Cosatu was in two minds about the postponement of the budget speech. On the one hand, he said, the federation was disappointed. But on the other hand, “it is quite clear that they were going to push through a 2% increase in VAT. So it’s a blessing in disguise even though it’s an unprecedented situation that happened today in Parliament.” Tsubane said Cosatu was “totally against a VAT increase” because of the high unemployment rate and weak economy. Earlier, hundreds of people marched through Cape Town to demand that Godongwana put an end to departmental cuts in his 2025 budget. More than a dozen organisations joined the march, including Cosatu, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), Equal Education, Cry of the Xcluded, People’s Health Movement, Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), and Rural Women’s Assembly. Speaking to the crowd outside Parliament, Saftu’s Zwelinzima Vavi pointed out that any increase in VAT would impact the poor more than the rich. Noncedo Madubedube of Equal Education read out a petition. National Treasury Deputy Director-General Stadi Mngomezulu came out to meet the protesters and signed the petition. He said that he would ensure the petition reached Godongwana’s office and that marchers could “expect a response”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liezl Human at GroundUp. Read too, VAT increase would be carried by the poorest of the poor in South Africa, at Business Report Other internet posting(s) in this news category
SANDF can defend SA despite financial struggles, Defence Minister Angie Motshekga insists TimesLIVE reports that the defence ministry claims that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) can defend the country against invasion, despite financial challenges. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga also suggested that older government staff should retire early to help cut costs. Giving a sobering account to MPs of her department’s financial state, Motshekga said: “The defunding has affected us badly, we are really in a difficult situation in many respects. We are looking at measures as to how to compensate, because we just can’t complain and keep on spending: there are measures government had put in place in terms of early retirement to make sure that we can release older staff, who are highly paid, and introduce a rejuvenating programme to be able to create space. It has worked in education.” Motshekga also called for the recruitment of younger staff. Motshekga went on to say: “The underfunding has not only affected us in terms of HR, it has affected us in many areas, such as where we can’t service our equipment. Her department is in talks with the National Treasury regarding the financial shortfall. Lt-Gen Michael Ramantswana, the SANDF chief of staff, also expressed confidence in the country’s defence capabilities. Despite the financial woes, the minister assured parliament that the SANDF had the capability to defend the country. But, members of the standing committee on public accounts expressed doubts and criticised the deployment strategies, questioning whether officials had fully grasped the scale of the military’s challenges. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bulelani Nonyukela at BusinessLive. Read too, Another R5bn over three years to keep SA troops in DRC, at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)
'He was a legend': Springs police officer's bravery lauded after deadly gun battle with robbers News24 reports that an off-duty Gauteng cop who was shot and killed while attempting to stop four robbers has been lauded as a hero by his family and fellow officers. Captain Wynand du Toit, 51, a policeman based in Springs, succumbed to his injuries following a gun battle on Sunday where he took on the robbers who targeted a supermarket in Geduld, Springs. "When Du Toit ran inside to assist, the robber opened fire on him. He retaliated, wounding one of the robbers. He was also wounded. Du Toit was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries," a Hawks spokesperson said. Du Toit's fianceé and fellow officer, Lieutenant Colonel Marinda Brand, said: "He was not only my colleague; he was a legend. He was a hero to everyone. He left a big hole in my life and the entire Springs community. He lived his life like a true policeman. He was involved in many dangerous situations and would walk out alive.” On the day of the shooting, police arrested one of the alleged robbers Nthuthuzelo Mana, 32, who was hospitalised at Pholosong Hospital in Tsakane. He remains under police guard. Another alleged robber, Benjamin Ntuli, 37, was arrested on Monday in Evander, Mpumalanga. During court proceedings in the Springs Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, the two were charged with murder. Ntuli and Mana are due back in court on 27 February, while the search for other suspects continues. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, Suspects in police officer’s murder appear in Ekurhuleni court, at SABC News. En ook, Twee vas ná moord op Springs-polisiekaptein, by Maroela Media Gardener sentenced to two concurrent sentences of 25 years for killing Alberton mother and son The Citizen reports that a 37-year-old Zimbabwean gardener found guilty of murdering a mother and her child in Randhart, Alberton, has been sentenced to 50 years. Pardon Danhire and 34-year-old Frederick Stapelberg appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where Judge Rian Strydom handed down the ruling. The gardener pleaded guilty to the murders of 32-year-old Nadine Terblanche and her nine-year-old son, Ruandré Vorster. He was sentenced to 25 years for the murder of Terblanche and 25 years for the murder of Vorster. The judgment came more than a year after the murders were committed. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane indicated that the sentences would run concurrently. The court further ordered that five years of his sentence be suspended on condition that he truthfully testifies against his co-accused Frederick Stapelberg, whose trial is set for 25 March 2025. Stapelberg’s trial was postponed several times for him to be sent for psychiatric evaluation. The psychiatric report was submitted to the court on 4 February. Danhire was hired as a gardener by Stapelberg. He was later allegedly contracted by Stapelberg with a promise of R100,000 in payment to kill Nadine and Ruandré. Their bodies were discovered by a local security company on 27 November 2023, after they were summoned to the scene through a panic button that was pressed by Stapelberg, following an alleged physical altercation with Danhire about the money he was promised after killing the deceased. Following his arrest, Danhire confessed to authorities and cited Stapelberg as the person who had hired him to kill Terblanche to allegedly gain access to her assets and money in the event of her death. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen
Youth unemployment remains ‘deeply concerning’ for government as job market struggle continues Business Report writes that youth unemployment in SA is expected to remain a persistent concern in the first quarter of 2025 and beyond as more young people enter the labour force after completing their high school studies. This comes as Statistics SA (Stats SA) on Tuesday said the youth (15–34 years) remained vulnerable in the labour market after the labour force increased by 0.4% or 112,000 during the last three months of 2024. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), the youth unemployment rate eased slightly from 45.5% in the third quarter to 44.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024. The total number of unemployed youth fell by 133,000 to 4.7 million, while employed youth recorded an increase of 37,000 to 5.8 million. As a result, the youth unemployment rate decreased from 45.5% in the third quarter of 2024 to 44.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Data from Stats SA showed that the overall unemployment rate fell by 0.2 of a percentage from 32.1% in the third quarter to 31.9% in the fourth quarter. Abigail Moyo of the trade union UASA said although the employment figures were improving, unemployed youth remained a primary concern. He indicated: “Without decisive action from the government, the future will remain gloomy, and there is no hope of elevating the impoverished.” Nkosinathi Mahlangu, Momentum Group's youth employment portfolio head, said while the creation of jobs in the latest period was an encouraging sign of economic resilience, the persistently high youth unemployment rates remained deeply concerning. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphelele Dludla at Business Report
Processes still underway to identify most of the bodies of Stilfontein illegal miners Sunday World reports that North West police are still in the process of identifying the bodies of 93 illegal miners discovered in decommissioned Buffelsfontein Gold Mine shaft No. 11 in Stilfontein between December 2024 and January. Police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone elaborated as follows on the cases: “Nine (miners) were brought to the surface through a pulley system or rope by community volunteers between Tuesday 03 December 2024 and Thursday 09 January 2025. Seventy-eight were brought to the surface between Monday 13 and Wednesday 15 January 2025 during the mine rescue operation. Five suspected illegal miners died while admitted to hospitals between Monday 20 January and Wednesday 12 February 2025. Of this number, four resurfaced at Buffelsfontein shaft number 11 and one at Margaret shaft.” Three of the nine initial bodies were successfully identified and handed to family members, who were all from Mozambique. DNA samples were obtained from the 78 bodies retrieved during the Mine Rescue Operation. Furthermore, 54 fingerprints were obtained from 78 bodies for comparison, which resulted in the identification of 10 bodies through previous arrests. Seven bodies were identified by their families in Mozambique. One came from Zimbabwe, one from Lesotho, and one from SA. An appeal for members of families who suspected that their next of kin had been working in the area to come forward resulted in the collection of 45 control samples. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Boitumelo Tshehle at Sunday World. Read too, Bodies of Stilfontein illegal miners yet to be identified, at SABC News
Blitz inspections in 2024 led to fines for 68 employers hiring illegal workers Cape Argus reports that according to Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth, authorities arrested 322 undocumented workers across the country during joint immigration enforcement operations in 2024. The crackdown also resulted in the arrest of 68 employers for violating immigration laws by hiring foreign nationals without valid work permits. In a parliamentary reply, Meth said her department conducted blitz inspections in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the police. She explained that her department’s mandate was to enforce the implementation of labour laws to ensure the protection of workers, while the DHA scrutinised the validity of visas and work permits. Meth reported that during the blitz operations, 68 employers and 322 foreign nationals were found on the wrong side of the law across the nine provinces. “With respect to the 68 employers arrested, each employer paid an admission of guilt fine to the amount of R10,000. Therefore, the total amount paid in lieu of fines is R680,000 while the 322 employees were taken for further processing as per immigration requirements,” Meth indicated. Eastern Cape led the pack with 34 employers that flouted the laws, followed by Mpumalanga with 15, Limpopo eight, KwaZulu-Natal five, and two in the Western Cape. Of the 322 foreign employees that were arrested, the largest number, 163, were from Limpopo. The Western Cape came second with foreign nationals at 43, Eastern Cape and Gauteng at 34 each, Mpumalanga 30, KwaZulu-Natal 16, and Free State two. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at Cape Argus. Read too, 322 undocumented workers arrested in immigration enforcement operations, at The Citizen Pretoria betting company manager arrested on suspicion of employing undocumented foreign nationals EWN reports that a manager of a betting company in Sunnyside, Pretoria was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of employing undocumented foreign nationals. Earlier, the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and several other law enforcement agencies conducted several compliance raids in the city centre. The TMPD was accompanied by labour inspectors and home affairs immigration officials. Police said they received a tip-off, that the bet exchange branch in Sunnyside was employing undocumented foreign nationals. "You can see the conditions these people are working in and we found the documents are not compliant. We found they are employing undocumented immigrants. We also found they didn’t have a working permit. We also found two people hiding in the toilet but they were customers who were undocumented immigrants," Tshwane metro police chief Yolande Faro reported. She said more of the unannounced multi-agency raids would be conducted in other parts of the capital. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Thabiso Goba at EWN
ANC mayor in North West takes sick leave after leak of sex video The Citizen reports that the mayor of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District in North West has taken a one-month period of sick leave after an explicit nude sex video of her was leaked to a WhatsApp group of her party’s provincial structures. Norah Mahlangu, ANC mayor in the Tswaing Local Municipality, was embarrassed after her video was recently leaked to various party members in the province. In the video, which has been widely circulated on social media platforms, Mahlangu can be seen on a bed removing her black bra. The video then moves onto a raunchier scene. Sam Letlakane, speaker of the Tswaing Local Municipality legislature, confirmed that Mahlangu had taken sick leave. “The mayor is on leave from February 15th to March 16th. Yes, we are aware of the video.” He added: “The mayor is undertaking an investigation into the matter. She is now consulting law enforcement agencies for further investigations.” Letlakane said it was unclear who had leaked the video. Nkegisang Joseph has been appointed interim mayor until Mahlangu returns to work. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen
Cape Town traffic officers caught on camera allegedly soliciting bribe from e-hailing driver News24 reports that the City of Cape Town's traffic service is investigating allegations of corruption involving officials who were caught on camera allegedly soliciting a bribe from an e-hailing driver operating without a permit. In the video, a male traffic officer is seen sitting inside a municipal traffic vehicle while communicating via a handheld radio. The officer is recorded instructing the driver to withdraw money via a cash-send service while coordinating with a colleague over a radio. One of the drivers, holding his car key, displays his phone to the officer, while another, who is recording the incident, suggests transferring the money directly to an account instead. At one point, the officer is heard asking his colleague via the radio: "Is Emza still busy, or should I send it to Mama?", which suggests the involvement of multiple officers in the scheme. According to a driver, the officer was paid R1,500 to avoid impounding the vehicle or issuing a fine. Road signs in the video suggest the incident occurred on Main Road in Green Point, near the Point Hotel. Drivers reportedly pay bribes ranging from R200 to R1,500 a time to avoid penalties. Peter Ngacha of the Western Cape E-Hailing Association said they were aware of the incident and were conducting their own investigation before approaching the authorities. No case has yet been registered with the police. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Velani Ludidi and watch the video at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
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