In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Lotteries company secretary resigns after pocketing R6-million while on suspension for two years GroundUp reports that suspended National Lotteries Commission (NLC) company secretary Nompumelelo Nene, who earned close to R6-million since her suspension on 18 November 2022 on full pay, has resigned. Her last day as an NLC employee was 28 February. Nene faced 145 disciplinary charges for alleged failures to uphold the interests of the NLC, ensure proper financial management and internal controls, and ensure transparent use of resources. She was also charged with the alleged misuse of NLC property and assets. Last year, Nene launched several expensive (for her) but ultimately unsuccessful applications to halt her internal disciplinary inquiry. She has now resigned. In her letter of resignation, Nene argued that her suspension constituted unfair, constructive dismissal and was a fundamental breach of her employment contract. The NLC has denied the allegations of constructive dismissal and said that her resignation was an attempt to avoid the disciplinary hearing and a possible guilty finding. One of the charges she faced was for allegedly ordering the NLC’s chief information officer to delete grant beneficiary records from the NLC’s IT system. Nene also launched an application against the Auditor-General in the Pretoria High Court to set aside findings in 2019/20 and 2020/21 that implicated her in misconduct relating to unauthorised expenditure on media services, accountants and auditors. It is unclear if she will proceed with that application now that she has resigned. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Raymond Joseph at GroundUp. Lees ook, Lotery se maatskappysekretaris bedank, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Go-slow at Maclear Hospital in Eastern Cape over heavy workloads and staff shortages continues SABC News reports that workers at Maclear Hospital in Nqanqarhu in the Eastern Cape are on an extended go-slow. They are complaining about heavy workloads due to severe staff shortages. The workers claim they have raised the matter with the provincial Health Department (DOH), but nothing has been done to address it. The go-slow at Maclear Hospital has been continuing for over two weeks. Thembekile Mgedezi of the Public Servants Association (PSA) said that the labour, maternity and mental units at the hospital were severely short-staffed. “The functions of this hospital are more than the establishment. They introduced the maternity unit without an establishment. Now we have to take workers from these two units, that is, in-patient and out-patient, to make maternity to function. Also, the mental health that is 72 hours, they introduced without sitting us down and telling us. Without documentation, nothing they produced. They’re just forcing us to work,” Mgedezi complained. Patients are also complaining about poor service at the institution. The chairperson of Maclear Hospital Board, Bongani Nkunkuma, said they were aware of the action by workers. Meanwhile, the DOH has promised the workers that their grievances would be addressed. DOH spokesperson Siyanda Manana explained that they were waiting a budget allocation. While the DOH awaits a budget allocation to address the issues, the workers at Maclear Hospital have vowed to continue with the go-slow. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Fundiswa Mhlekude at SABC News
Solidarity heads to Europe, Africa to pile pressure on SA government TimesLIVE reports that the mainstream Afrikaner movement Solidarity will be embarking on a month-long tour of Europe to ask world powers to put pressure on the SA government. The organisation says the countries in the G20 they will visit will be asked to play a role in urging the SA government to reconsider what they believe are discriminatory laws. The group, alongside AfriForum, is in the US until later this week. They are also planning to visiting African countries in the next few months. Speaking from Los Angeles, the head of international relations at the Solidarity Movement, Jaco Kleynhans, explained: “In Europe I engage with the EU on trade issues and there are several European countries that are concerned about South Africa's land expropriation act — the Dutch, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria and Italy. I will within the next month or so visit some of these countries to engage with their governments to say they must strengthen their relations with South Africa, but that they must also make use of the G20 summit to put pressure on the South African government to review the whole issue of the expropriation act.” The Solidarity Movement and AfriForum recently held some six high-level meetings with US President Donald Trump’s administration and also with senators and members of the House of Representatives. Kleynhans said they had asked them not to punish SA in terms of trade agreements between the two countries. He said they had received a positive response from the Americans. Meanwhile, the Hawks are investigating Solidarity and AfriForum in connection with alleged high treason charges stemming from the organisations' meetings with officials in Washington. Kleynhans strongly rejected the accusations, saying: “There is absolutely no grounds for that, it was political opportunism from certain political parties and individuals who made these cases. Our legal teams have looked at it already.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bulelani Nonyukela and listen to the interview with Jaco Kleynhans at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Five women among 33 illegal immigrants arrested in illegal mining operation in Pilgrim’s Rest IOL News reports that at least 33 illegal immigrants between the ages of 18 and 45 suspected to be involved in illegal mining were arrested during Operation Vala Umgodi in Pilgrim's Rest, Mpumalanga. Amongst the suspects, five are females. Police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli said the suspects were found to be in possession of mining equipment, which was a sign that they were allegedly involved in illegal mining activities. "The suspects were nabbed during the time when the team of law enforcement agencies were conducting a disruptive operation in the area of Pilgrim's Rest. The astute members managed to confiscate 11 phendukas, four generators, seven gas cylinders, a water tank with a capacity of 1000 litres, two motors, two cutting torches, and other items such as a water pump, spade, shovel, electrical cable, jackhammer, as well as a pilot gun," Mdhluli reported. The accused appeared in the Graskop Magistrate's Court on Monday. The matter was postponed to 7, 10 and 13 March for further investigation, including the verification of ages. The other reason is to avoid overcrowding in the court. Meanwhile, the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) has slapped 38 employers with fines amounting to R68,000 for hiring illegal foreign nationals without valid work permits in contravention of immigration laws. Minister Nomakhosazana Meth said her department conducted blitz inspections in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs and the police. During the blitz, 68 employers and 322 foreign nationals were found on the wrong side of the law across the nine provinces. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinenhlanhla Masilela at IOL News
Government still talking to Amsa about plant closures, while Seifsa identifies many challenges facing sector The Citizen reports that government is still talking to ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) about the closure of its long steel business, while research by the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) found that the metals and engineering sector faces many challenges this year. In a statement, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition noted Amsa’s decision to wind down its long steel business in the country and indicated: “Recognising the steel industry’s vital role in South Africa’s economic reconstruction and recovery, we would like to reassure all stakeholders that we are engaging ArcelorMittal on finding a solution to maintaining long steel capacity in South Africa.” Amsa said it was not in a position to comment further. Meanwhile, research by employer association Seifsa shows that the outlook for the SA metals and engineering sector in 2025 is far from rosy as it faces a variety of headwinds locally as well as globally. The Seifsa State of the Metals and Engineering Sector Report 2025 examines the state of the metals and engineering sector amid heightened geopolitical tension, low economic growth, and pedestrian execution of the reforms needed to unlock economic growth. According to the latest full-year estimates for 2024, the sector’s production declined by 1.4%, while it employed 362,210 people, an increase of only 0.5% from 2023. Seifsa’s chief operating officer, Tafadzwa Chibanguza, remarked that the improvement in employment was marginal to negligible. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen
Youth unemployment continues to grow even as university attendance improves, says Stats SA BL Premium reports that a new report by Stats SA paints a grim picture of joblessness among SA’s youth population, with unemployment having increased significantly over the past decade despite improvements in university attendance. The percentage of young people actively seeking work but unable to find a job rose from 36.8% in 2014 to 45.5% in 2024, while the number of young people not in employment, education or training increased by five percentage points. These figures illustrate the failure of SA’s policy interventions aimed at addressing youth unemployment, such as the National Development Plan. This is despite gradual improvements in both high school and university attendance, with school attendance rising by 0.5 percentage points and higher education enrolment climbing by 1.3 percentage points. But, despite the slight improvements in high school attendance, data from all nine provinces showed that most young people do not have a matric. Notably, while university attendance has grown, young people have shifted away from technical and vocational education and training colleges, with enrolment dropping from 6.9% to 6.1%. As joblessness rises, hunger has also intensified among the young population. On top of job scarcity, the data also shows young people between the ages of 16 and 34 are more likely to be the victims of crime, including assault, robbery and property theft. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Some fuel relief as petrol prices, and especially diesel prices, drop on Wednesday Moneyweb reports that on Wednesday motorists will get some relief at the pumps with fuel price reductions announced by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. Both grades of petrol will drop by 7 cents per litre, while diesel will decrease by 17.5 cents per litre for 0.05% sulphur and 23.5 cents per litre for 0.005% sulphur. The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will fall by 6 cents per litre, and the maximum retail price of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas will decline by 2 cents per kilogram. The changes come after four consecutive months of price increases. The department attributed the reductions to lower global oil prices and a stronger rand, “which contributed to a decrease by about 13c on petrol and 14c on both diesel and LP. The slate levy remains unchanged at zero cents per litre in the price structures of petrol and diesel. And LP decreases from 1c to 0.5c per litre.” For inland consumers, the new prices are as follows (coastal prices ireflected n Moneyweb article): Petrol 95 unleaded – R22.34 per litre; Petrol 93 unleaded – R22.09 per litre; Diesel 0.05% (wholesale) – R20.16 per litre; Diesel 0.005% (wholesale) – R20.21 per litre. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Terri-Ann Brouwers at Moneyweb. Read too, Some fuel price relief on Wednesday, at Fin24. En ook, Petrol effens goedkoper; dieselprys daal ook, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Samwu up in arms after Ekurhuleni slashes overtime pay by half to contain costs BL Premium reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) is up in arms after Ekurhuleni cut overtime pay for its 16,000-strong workforce by 50%. The move by the metro, which is struggling financially, is part of the city’s revenue enhancement strategy. Samwu Ekurhuleni regional secretary Tshephang Langa condemned the decision to cut overtime pay and acting allowances and to introduce contracted services as a means of addressing service delivery. “We are convinced that the inclusion of contractors is nothing but a ploy by political parties to funnel municipal resources to their friends and allies, especially with local government elections looming next year. The city’s claim that municipal employees are abusing overtime is a smokescreen to justify this reckless decision,” Langa claimed. Ekurhuleni finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi indicated on Tuesday that the council had been dealing with concerns about overtime for some time. Dlabathi criticised the “culture of overtime” in the metro, saying the practice should only be provided for in case of emergencies and “extraordinary events”. “In quarter one, roughly R216m was spent on overtime ... Projections for the entire year are that we would have spent about R1bn,” Dlabathi stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Over 102,000 vacant funded posts in government departments as at end of January BL Premium reports that there were 102,153 vacant funded posts in the public service as at the end of January, with the health and education departments both at national and provincial level the most severely affected. This emerged from a written reply to a parliamentary question by Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Minister Mzamo Buthelezi. There are about 1.2-million public servants in the country, which translates to an overall vacancy rate of 8.5%, though this varies from province to province and from department to department. While government critics argue the public service is bloated, this is mainly directed at managerial echelons rather than personnel at the coalface of service delivery. The government’s estimated salary bill for 2025/26 after taking into account the recent 5.5% public sector wage increase agreement is R824bn. The wage agreement will cost R23.4bn over the next three years. Challenges in filling vacancies include budget constraints and the need to reprioritise funds; strict administrative processes that slow down recruitment; and the time required for thorough pre-employment verifications. The departments with the most vacant funded posts were those at the front-line of service delivery including education, health and police, as well as correctional services. The vacancies in the departments of education and health deepened as a result of the austerity measures imposed by the Treasury in previous budgets. The Treasury has embarked on a R11bn initiative over two years to retire about 30,000 public servants early. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Ramaphosa keeps record of decision to sign NHI into law under wraps as BHF court action kicks off Fin24 reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has refused to provide the record of his decision to sign the National Health Insurance (NHI) into law as requested by the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF). Instead he is challenging the group's choice of the high court for its application to have the law struck down as unconstitutional. The BHF, representing medical aid schemes, kicked off its case against the NHI on Tuesday in the North Gauteng High Court. At the centre of the BHF legal strategy is a request for Ramaphosa's record of decision when he signed the NHI Act into law. In terms of the Constitution, when receiving legislation from Parliament, the president must satisfy himself diligently and rationally that it is constitutional. The BHF indicated that it would file its main review after receiving the record. During the bill's processing through Parliament and in the lead-up to the signing, stakeholders appealed to Ramaphosa to take note of sections that they argued were unconstitutional. This included the National Treasury, which wrote to the Presidency in 2018 alerting it to several constitutional concerns with the NHI Bill. Among other things, the Treasury warned that as health was a provincial competency in the Constitution, while the NHI usurped the powers of the provinces, which was unconstitutional. In Tuesday's court proceedings, the BHF and the state’s counsel argued on the issue of jurisdiction. On Wednesday, the same court will hear an application brought by the SA Private Practitioners' Forum against the NHI. There are two other applications to review the NHI that do not yet have a court date. The application by trade union Solidarity is broadly framed and suggests numerous grounds for review. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required). Lees ook, Gesondheidfinansiers se saak teen NGV begin, by Maroela Media
Gauteng government’s supply chain and finance officials to undergo comprehensive lifestyle audits News24 reports that officials in the Gauteng government's supply chain and finance division will undergo lifestyle audits, according to the provincial government. Spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga said the move to subject all supply chain management (SCM) and finance officials to comprehensive lifestyle audits was in line with a commitment Premier Panyaza Lesufi had made in his 2023 State of the Province Address. At the time, Lesufi said the lifestyle audits were meant to strengthen accountability and combat corruption. Mhaga stated: To set the tone for ethical leadership and walking the talk, the first phase involves lifestyle audits being conducted on the premier and MECs.” The other phase will involve accounting officers - heads of department and CEOs - at provincial government departments and entities. Mhaga said the initiative represented a significant step towards safeguarding public resources, promoting good governance, and ensuring that government officials operated within ethical and legal frameworks. The audits will be conducted by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) under the secondment agreement established with the Office of the Premier in 2023. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyamtanda Capa at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
JMPD launches crackdown on corrupt officers, warns about digital payment of bribes The Citizen reports that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has initiated an investigation into allegations of corruption within its ranks, which has revealed a disturbing pattern of officers soliciting bribes through electronic payment methods. According to JMPD’s internal affairs unit, many officers are under scrutiny for suspected misconduct involving illegal financial transactions. “The JMPD’s internal affairs unit is currently investigating numerous cases where officers are suspected of soliciting bribes from members of the public, with funds being transferred via e-wallet or cash sent to unknown or ‘ghost’ cellphone numbers,” said JMPD’s spokesperson Xolani Fihla. He went on to indicate: “The JMPD takes these allegations extremely seriously and is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. We urge the public to be vigilant and aware of this alleged practice.” JMPD Chief of Police, Patrick Jaca added: “I want to warn motorists that offering bribes is also a serious offence. Anyone who attempts to bribe an officer will be arrested and face the full consequences of the law.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Enkosi Selane at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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