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.
GroundUp reports that more than two weeks since armed men visited Zanemfundo Primary School in Phillipi East demanding protection fees from teachers, police have made little progress in investigating the incident and no suspects have been arrested.
The incident, which was reported to the SA Police Service (SAPS), took place on 28 February. Teachers were reportedly told to pay 10% of their salaries by Friday, 14 March. Too scared to go to work on Friday, they went to the Education Department’s district offices in Mitchells Plain to voice their safety concerns. Classes were cancelled. One teacher at the school indicated that the perpetrators were known to them and the community, yet the police have not acted. Teachers were being escorted to the school by police officers this week. Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said a private security company had been appointed to be stationed at the school and police were patrolling the area around the school. Similar incidents have reportedly taken place at five other schools in Nyanga, Philippi and Samora Machel. “We can’t talk about this because it involves people’s lives. This is a very serious situation and we can’t risk speaking to the media,” said a teacher at one of the schools. Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed that incidents of extortion had been reported at several schools and that these incidents were being investigated, but “for privacy and security reasons, we are unable to disclose the names of the schools or complainants”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sandiso Phaliso at GroundUp
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page