In our roundup of weekend and recent reports,
see the following summaries of our selection of
South African labour-related articles.
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Possible culpable homicide charges loom over deadly collapse of George building Sunday Times reports that an investigation into last year’s George building collapse in which 34 people died has found “gross negligence” on the part of the construction company and has recommended possible culpable homicide charges. The forensic probe initiated by the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) after the 6 May tragedy, in which a multistorey apartment block collapsed during construction, found “widespread procedural failures” and noncompliance with building regulations. It cited late-enrolment (registration) with the council, inspection failures, material deficiencies and occupational health and safety violations, and questioned “the competency of those involved in the project”. More than 60 people were on site at the time of the collapse and many of them were buried under rubble. The development by Neo Victoria Developments, with Liatel as the contracted builder, was intended to be a residential complex with 42 units. “The company’s [Liatel] gross negligence, demonstrated by its failure to comply with regulatory standards, misrepresentations during the enrolment process and negligence in addressing structural defects, played a significant role in the unsafe conditions that led to the disaster,” according to the report. Liatel was not qualified to build a multistorey building, the report states. The investigation also raised questions about the processes followed by the George municipality in issuing approvals for the project. “Given the clear link between Liatel’s actions — or lack thereof — and the collapse, law enforcement should conduct a criminal investigation to determine whether the company’s negligence amounts to culpable homicide. This investigation must hold the company, Neo Victoria Developments, and their responsible officials accountable for the loss of life, ensuring that justice is served for the victims of this preventable tragedy,” the report reads. Human settlements minister Thembi Simelane indicated: “We will refer the report to our law enforcement agencies for investigation and possible criminal charges.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phathu Luvhengo at Sunday Times (subscriber access only). Read too, George building collapse report to be made public once concluded, at SABC News
'Semi-captured' and ‘forgotten’, SANDF soldiers in DRC wait for orders Sunday Times reports on the situation of the group of about 800 South African soldiers detained in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Bored, hungry, immobilised, homesick and forgotten is how they have been feeling for the past six weeks. Last week, finally, there was movement: when a SADC extraordinary summit ended the mandate of the SADC mission in the DRC and decided on a phased withdrawal of troops from the country. But according to one soldier in Goma, they have not been told anything: “We have seen news reports but nothing has been communicated to us yet by the command authority.” The soldier went on to say: “It’s a relief. I think once M23 took over, it was clear to everyone that the mission was a failure. I am still positive about what my comrades and I accomplished on the ground, in spite of our commanders. I will take the lessons I learnt here with me on my road forward.” He sees himself as a prisoner of war and explained: “At best, we are sort of semi-captured. M23 might not have taken over our base but they completely control our movements. They make sure we remain inside the base. As long as we do that, they leave us alone. They do not enter the base. If they want to talk to our leaders, they stand outside the gate and wait until the officers go to them. We can’t defend ourselves in any way. Our hands are tied.” He also indicated: “We get food from the UN and our chefs prepare it, but it is mostly pap and chicken or pap and meat – and never enough. To South Africa and the rest of the world, we are an uncomfortable presence – the forgotten soldiers.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hendrik Hancke at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)
SA team at Antarctica base fear for safety after 'assaults, death threat' Sunday Times reports that a real-life horror movie is playing out at SA’s isolated Antarctica base where one of the 10-member overwintering team has been accused of being mentally unstable and violent. Urgent efforts are under way to ease tensions inside the base as the team is almost entirely cut off from the outside world for the next 10 months due to encroaching ice and fierce winter weather. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), which manages the SA National Antarctic Programme, confirmed that an investigation into alleged misconduct was under way. Much of the drama is described in an e-mail sent last month by a team member pleading for "immediate action" to ensure their safety at the remote Sanae IV base about 170km inland from the ice shelf. It claimed a rogue team member physically assaulted and threatened to kill a colleague, and sexually assaulted another. Environment minister Dion George confirmed seeing the e-mail. “The department is responding to these concerns with the utmost urgency and have had a number of interventions with all parties concerned at the base,” said DFFE communications chief Peter Mbelengwa. Two sources with inside knowledge said the only way to presently leave the base was via emergency medical evacuation to a neighbouring German base about 300km away. Questions have been raised about the veracity of psychometric tests done to ensure the team can endure the psychological stress of isolation. But the DFFE said all team members passed initial screening tests. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bobby Jordan at Sunday Times (subscriber access only) Attacks on rural Limpopo clinics undermine commitment to render 24-hour services SABC News reports that the Limpopo Department of Health (DOH) says continued attacks on clinics that are located in rural areas undermine their commitment to render 24-hour services across the province. This after two armed men attacked the Mashamba clinic outside Thohoyandou on Saturday night. DOH spokesperson Neil Shikwambana said the armed men went to the clinic at around 9 pm, under the pretext of needing medical attention. No one was harmed, as security officers managed to move nurses into a secure location after the men entered the clinic. The attackers also did not manage to steal anything, as security called the police promptly. “The increasing number of criminal activities against health care facilities is a cause for concern, and they underscore the critical need for safety and security with the health care facilities which are dedicated to providing essential services around the clock,” Shikwambana pointed out. He thanked the security personnel at Mashamba clinic for their gallant stance that helped to protect the facility and the staff who were on duty.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Pimani Baloyi at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Sibanye-Stillwater confirms loss of life at Driefontein gold mine Mining Weekly reports that Sibanye-Stillwater has confirmed that an employee died following a tramming incident at its Driefontein gold mine, in Carletonville on the West Rand, last week. According to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), a loco was tramming towards the 48 level west internal tip at the Hlanganani shaft when it abruptly came to the stop. After a period, a loco guard went to investigate and found that the loco had driven into a backfill pipe. The pipe pushed against the screen of the loco cab, pinning the driver inside. The driver was declared deceased underground. Amcu pointed out that this marked the twelfth fatality reported in the mining sector this year, a considerable increase from the five fatalities recorded during the same period last year. “Despite the industry’s self-congratulatory reports of a 24% reduction in fatalities in 2024, with 42 deaths compared to 55 in 2023, these numbers are cold comfort to the families and communities who continue to lose their loved ones to corporate negligence,” it stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Mantashe lauds opening of Seriti's Naudesbank Colliery, insists coal mining remains critical Mining Weekly reports that Mineral Resources and Petroleum Minister Gwede Mantashe exclaimed at the ribbon cutting of coal producer Seriti’s new Naudesbank Colliery, near Carolina, in Mpumalanga, on 14 March that “King coal is back!” Enthused by the opening of a new colliery at a time when global politics and markets were increasingly anti-fossil fuels, Mantashe expressed his support for a more balanced approach to energy security – one which still relied on coal-based power for baseload. He also expressed his support of the coal mining industry being a source of continued direct and indirect employment, as well as investments by mining companies into surrounding communities by building roads, clinics, schools and other critical infrastructure. Mantashe noted that although miners like Anglo American and BHP were moving away from coal mining, SA miners, such as Seriti, Exxaro Resources and Thungela, continued to invest in coal mining. Seriti broke ground on the new Naudesbank Colliery in November 2024, with the first coal produced in late February. The colliery has a mine life of about 12 years and is set to maintain about 300 direct jobs, along with additional indirect and downstream employment opportunities in the surrounding communities. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Community members question the integrity of Amplats sustainability audit at Mogalakwena mine BL Premium reports that Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) announced on Thursday that its Mogalakwena mine had been assessed by the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance’s (IRMA’s) mining standard and achieved an IRMA 50 level of sustainability. The independent audit provided Mogalakwena with an average score of 50% across the various requirements set out by the IRMA standard, which measures business integrity, positive legacies, and social and environmental responsibility. The score also means that Mogalakwena “substantially”, if not fully, complied with all IRMA’s critical requirements. All of Amplats’ platinum group metals (PGM) mines having now been assured under the framework. The Mogalakwena audit was met by two community complaints in September and November last year by regional NGO Bench Marks Foundation and 31 residents of Sekuruwe, a community directly affected by the mine. The community raised concerns about the integrity of the audit process, accusing it of deliberately limiting their ability to provide input to auditors by providing insufficient notice before the on-site component of the process. IRMA said these complaints were being addressed through its issues resolution procedure, a platform for direct communication between Anglo American, Bench Marks and the community signatories. The outcome of this process has yet to be seen. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Amsa seeks R3.1bn rescue package and concessions to keep long-steel plants running Business Times reports that last-ditch efforts are under way to save troubled steelmaker ArcelorMittal SA’s (Amsa’s) long-steel plants in Vereeniging and Newcastle, where 3,500 jobs are on the line. Amsa, in talks with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) is seeking a R3.1bn rescue package. Amsa also wants relaxation of competition laws – so it can merge with smaller steel mills – and a cut in its Eskom bill. Tebogo Makube of the DTIC said they believed Amsa’s long-steel business could still be saved and the government was looking at long-term solutions to avert job losses. He added that the DTIC would also explore options to retain the capacity to manufacture long-steel products in SA if Amsa could not continue to operate this business. Makube advised that the government had made available R380m to Amsa to keep the plants running and indications were that the Newcastle plant could operate for another 12 months with additional funding. Amsa has reportedly applied to the Unemployment Insurance Fund for money to partly cover the salaries of the 3,500 affected workers. The IDC provided the steel producer with R1.2bn of working capital last month. But, a source described Amsa’s attempt to set conditions as “audacious” and commented: “You cannot be asking for money and dictating the terms on which you should be given this money. You are asking for help but are saying ‘do the following for me and do that for me’.” Another industry player criticised Amsa’s attempt to negotiate lower electricity tariffs with Eskom. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only). Read too, ArcelorMittal SA seeks R3.1bn rescue package for mills, at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Three Sassa employees arrested for creating fake accounts and withdrawing funds News24 reports that three SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) employees were arrested at their Johannesburg workplace on Friday for allegedly defrauding the organisation by creating fake accounts and withdrawing money. The employees, all grant administrators, were apprehended as part of a police investigation into a Sassa card fraud syndicate that started in February. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo advised that a thorough investigation had led the police to the Joburg Sassa branch. "From that office alone, we were looking for seven suspects, including the manager. We arrested three grant administrators. Four other workers, including a manager, were absent from work," he indicated, adding that they were all on leave. “The four wanted suspects are known to us. The police are searching for them. We request that they turn themselves in," said Masondo. The three suspects arrested on Friday will appear in the Lenasia Magistrate's Court this week. The arrests come hot on the heels of the arrest of another Sassa employee, his wife, a second woman, and an Ethiopian national at a Shoprite outlet in Dlamini, Soweto, on 4 February. Employees at the store tipped off the police about two women withdrawing cash with multiple Sassa cards. Masondo indicated: “The four suspects were found with R40,000 in cash and more than 150 Sassa and bank cards. They remain in jail after being denied bail by the Lenasia Magistrate's Court. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Lees ook, Sassa-werkers van bedrog verdink, by Maroela Media. As well as, MPs applaud whistleblowers after arrests of Sassa employees for R260 million grant fraud scheme, at EWN Kusile power station officials among six people arrested in connection with Eskom graft allegations News24 reports that police have arrested six people for procurement fraud and theft linked to an allegedly dodgy Eskom tender for a pump at Kusile Power Station in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga. Major General Nonkululeko Phokane said in a statement on Saturday: "During 2018, a pump was procured through the procurement process at Kusile Power Station. Investigations revealed that the same pump with the same unique number had in fact already been procured by Eskom in 2015." Phokane added that service providers appeared to have colluded with the perpetrators by providing the quotations. The loss to Eskom amounted to "hundreds of thousands of rands". He went on to advise: "Two suspects, including a Kusile Power Station procurement officer, were apprehended at a port of entry while attempting to leave the country on Friday." The other four, including a former procurement manager and an end-user at Kusile, were arrested in the early hours of Saturday. Police seized a handgun, a rifle, ammunition, a laptop, and cellphones during the operation. The six suspects are expected to make their first appearance in the eMalahleni Magistrate's Court on Monday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Lees ook, Ses aangekeer oor bedrog by Kusile, by Maroela Media New evidence implicates former Prasa executives Lucky Montana and Sfiso Buthelezi, Unite Behind tells court BL Premium reports that Unite Behind claimed in the High Court in Joburg on Thursday that it has “more evidence” against corruption accused former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana and former board member Sfiso Buthelezi. According to the civil society organisation led by activist Zackie Achmat, the new evidence implicates Montana and Buthelezi in irregular expenditure that cost the entity billions. Unite Behind is fighting in court to protect former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s state capture report detailing maladministration at Prasa. Former Prasa board members are seeking to have the report set aside. Achmat contended that Montana, now an MK party MP, was protected by Busisiwe Mkhwebane when she was public protector. Mkhwebane and Montana are now MK party members. When Thuli Madonsela vacated the public protector post in 2016, she had left a report on corruption at Prasa (“Derailed”) in which she found several tenders were awarded irregularly. This was during Montana’s tenure and Buthelezi was the chair of the board. In Madonsela’s report, Montana was directly implicated to have approved tenders which were not open to competitive bidding but were treated as unsolicited bids. Buthelezi faced accusations that his private companies had benefited through Prasa tenders, but he disputed this. Mkhwebane cleared Buthelezi and Montana in her report as public protector. But, Achmat argues that Mkhwebane’s report was a “whitewash” and cited leaked reports from National Treasury’s probe on Prasa that provided contrary evidence. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Ipid probes KZN top cop Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for 'shielding drug-peddling' prison boss from arrest City Press reports that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has lodged a complaint with the police watchdog against KwaZulu-Natal's top cop, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, over claims that he interfered with the arrest of a senior correctional services official on drug charges. On Wednesday, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) gave Mkhwanazi a week to submit a sworn statement explaining his role in the matter, after receiving Mchunu's complaint. The letter dated 12 March 2025, signed by the acting national head of investigations, Thuso Keefelakae, states that Ipid has “certain information at its disposal indicating that you may have been involved in instructing the members not to arrest Ms Nelly Ndlovu”. In January, it was reported that Mkhwanazi allegedly tried to block the arrest of Ndlovu, the former Westville Maximum Prison head, on suspicion of running a drug cartel at the correctional service facility in Durban. The allegations against Mkhwanazi were made in a police report and an occurrence book entry, with some members of the security cluster pushing for him to be charged with defeating the ends of justice. Mkhwanazi has publicly claimed that there are internal efforts to tarnish his name for clamping down on corruption and pursuing rogue elements within the SAPS. This includes rooting out of corruption in the SAPS secret fund, which had been marred by allegations of abuse because of a lack of rigorous supervision. Ian Cameron, chairperson of the portfolio committee on police, said he would not be surprised if Mkhwanazi, whose term ends in a year, was targeted for tackling the rogue elements within the SAPS. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at City Press (subscription or trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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