In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Suspected human trafficking victims who escaped from property in Lombardy East were promised jobs in SA EWN reports that reports suggest that more than 30 Ethiopian nationals who escaped from a house in Lombardy East, Johannesburg on Wednesday morning had been promised employment in SA. Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said that officers were called to the scene after the foreign nationals, some half-naked, were seen running in the streets, with some hiding at a local shop after their escape. Police have confirmed that there were over 30 suspected human trafficking victims who were taken to the Sandringham Police Station, where they are currently being kept in custody. A translator was called to the scene. Some of the victims were apparently kept on the premises for as long as 11 months, while others died and had their bodies taken away. It seems that the promise of greener pastures is what landed the foreign nationals in SA, but they were soon confronted with sheer devastation as they were held captive and barely fed. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Zoleka Qodashe at EWN. Read too, Police searching for owner of Lombardy East property where 30 suspected human trafficking victims escaped from, at EWN Police increasingly concerned about incidents of suspected human trafficking in Johannesburg EWN reports that police are growing increasingly concerned about incidents of suspected human trafficking in Johannesburg. More than 30 Ethiopian nationals escaped from a house in Lombardy East on Wednesday, where they were apparently being kept against their will. Most of them were minors between the ages of 13 and 24. The Ethiopians have alleged that they were often beaten, while some died on the premises and the bodies were disposed of. They are currently being kept at the Sandringham Police Station, where an interpreter Adise Jarse offered police some information on what he had been told. According to Jarse, the suspected captors attempted to extort money from the victims’ families, some of whom had left behind in the Horn of Africa. He said: "So I asked them how they demand the money, is it by the phone and WhatsApp everything. They demand (from the) family, from the whole family here in Ethiopia and South Africa, they don't care.” Jarse said he had been called to the Sandringham Police Station on multiple occasions in similar situations. In a separate incident earlier this year, several other Ethiopian nationals were rescued in the same area, with some admitted to hospital with various injuries. This is a cause for concern for police, as spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo explained: "It happened in January this year, so it is a concern for us as the police that there are people that are being brought to our country against their will and they are kept in the houses here around against their will." Read the original of the report in the above regard by Zoleka Qodashe at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Three killed, 55 injured after truck carrying workers overturned in Limpopo SABC News reports that three people were killed and 55 others injured in a crash on the R36 road near Strijdom Tunnel outside Leboeng, outside Burgersfort in Limpopo. Traffic spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said a truck which was carrying workers lost control on the mountain and it overturned. The truck then fell into a ditch. Twenty passengers including the driver sustained serious injuries while 35 others sustained minor injuries. The injured were transported to various hospitals. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News Urgent intervention crucial at the Rustenburg Home Affairs offices IOL News reports that the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration has expressed shock and dismay at the state of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) offices in Rustenburg and has called for urgent intervention. This came after the committee was on a week-long oversight visit to the province and to Gauteng to assess the state of public services. The committee wrapped up its North West leg of its oversight visit on 25 March at the Rustenburg DHA office. The committee members said they witnessed the queues and the state of the building, and this raised serious concerns. It was revealed that from 3 February until 25 February, the offices had 50 hours and 25 minutes lost due to the system being down. The committee also flagged safety and security as a considerable challenge and heard that the location of the offices compromised the safety of officials, clients, and government assets, as it was situated next to a taxi rank and liquor outlets. There have also been a frequent number of burglaries reported. The committee was also informed that the building, which DHA leased, was not compliant with occupational health and safety (OHS) standards and that members of the public and staff felt unsafe. “Staff and asset safety are a concern due to the lack of burglar-proofing in the building,” Jan de Villiers, chairman of the committee, said. It was also noted that the building required urgent maintenance and the committee heard that the building's landlord did not address complaints. The lift in the building broke in 2023 and remained non-operational. The building is not accessible to people with disabilities. Members also heard that there were no pest control services, and staff have battled infestations of rats, cockroaches, pigeons, and bats. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL News. Lees ook, Binnelandse sake-kantoor in Rustenburg hou ‘gevaar vir publiek, personeel’, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Cosatu calls on parliament to scrap the VAT hike BL Premium reports that labour federation Cosatu has called on parliament to amend the 2025/26 budget to scrap the contentious VAT hike and amend the budget with more progressive revenue options to stimulate economic growth and create jobs. In its submission on the budget to parliament on Tuesday, Cosatu called for the R370 social relief of distress (SRD) grant to be adjusted for inflation and for an increase in funding for public employment programmes and industrial and export financing. Finance minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his budget speech in parliament on 12 March after it was postponed on 19 February when parties in the government of national unity (GNU) could not agree on a proposed two percentage points VAT increase. The minister then announced a half a percentage point hike in each of the next two years. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks said while there are many progressive provisions in the budget, “its primary source for funding these with an unnecessary 0.5% VAT hike for each of the next two years and not adjusting personal income tax brackets for 2025 will be a painful blow to millions of highly indebted working-class families and an already battered economy”. He went on to say: “Cosatu cannot support tax hikes on the working class and the poor and thus calls upon parliament to reject this ill-considered bleeding of workers’ already meagre wages and amend the budget with more progressive revenue options.” He said VAT was regressive and would hurt the poor who already could not afford to buy food, electricity or pay for transport. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Cosatu calls for amendment to Budget, slams proposed VAT hike, at Business Report
SA mining industry shed almost 13,000 jobs in 2024 BL Premium reports that SA’s mining industry shed 12,877 jobs last year as low platinum group metals (PGM) prices, rising electricity costs and ageing gold mines resulted in four consecutive quarters of declining employment. That took the total number of people employed in the mining sector to 468,898 at end-2024, compared with 481,775 at end-2023. Meanwhile, Stats SA’s latest quarterly employment statistics show that 3,180 workers in the mining sector lost their jobs in the three months to end-December, driven primarily by a drop in gold sector jobs. The shrinking workforce of SA’s gold miners in the final quarter was particularly concerning given the profitability increases reported by several companies in the sector as average gold prices stood about 23% higher than in 2023, said Minerals Council SA chief economist Hugo Pienaar. Overall, however, last year’s mining labour market was hardest hit in the PGM sector. More than three-quarters of industry job losses in 2024 were in non-gold sectors, most of which were due to PGM miners restructuring. Almost 7,000 of the 9,890 retrenchments in non-gold mining last year occurred in the second quarter, reflecting a wave of restructurings and retrenchments as miners cut back on production and shrunk their workforces in response to low PGM prices. There is hope however that higher prices could help stabilise employment in the PGM sector, Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Stilfontein ‘zama zama’ tragedy demands urgent affirmation of the SAHRC’s role Christopher Rutledge of the Macua & Women Affected by Mining United in Action Advice Office writes that the humanitarian crisis that unfolded in Stilfontein, culminating in the deaths of 93 working-class black miners (‘zama zamas’) through state-induced starvation, is a grim reminder of the precarious state of human rights protections in SA. He says that the appalling lack of response from parliament and the executive to this atrocity raises critical questions about whether the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) can meaningfully fulfil its constitutional mandate without either judicial affirmation or legislative strengthening. The joint sitting of the parliamentary committees on mineral resources and police that convened to question the ministers about the Stilfontein crisis is said to further underscored this institutional failure. Of the 88 questions posed by 17 MPs, only four touched on the human rights violations at the heart of this tragedy. “Shockingly, three of those questions advocated for even harsher measures, disregarding the fundamental rights of mining-affected communities, and most were fixated on the nationality of those who died at the hands of the state,” Rutledge notes. In his view, parliament demonstrated a breathtaking disregard for the constitutional protections that ought to be afforded to everyone within SA’s borders, regardless of economic status or citizenship. Rutledge maintains that SAHRC’s failure to intervene meaningfully in the Stilfontein crisis mirrors its broader pattern of inaction. Reports from Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) and the Stilfontein Solidarity Committee have highlighted that despite repeated engagement the SAHRC failed to challenge the state’s use of starvation as a law enforcement tactic. According to Rutledge, the Stilfontein tragedy demands a re-evaluation of the SAHRC’s place within SA’s constitutional democracy. Read Christopher Rutledge’s article in the above regard in full at BusinessLive
Senior staffer at KZN primary school allegedly forced teachers to wear MK Party regalia TimesLIVE reports that a senior staff member at Shakaskraal primary school in KwaZulu-Natal is in hot water after he allegedly intimidated teachers, ordering them to wear MK Party regalia at school or face termination. This is alleged to have happened on school premises when teachers and learners were meant to be in class. KZN education MEC Sipho Hlomuka has commissioned an investigation after allegations that the staff member was intimidating teachers. “MEC Hlomuka has instructed the department to investigate incidents of coercion and intimidation of educators by a senior staff member at Shakaskraal Primary School,” confirmed provincial education department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi. Allegedly the senior staffer was using the school infrastructure as a base for his political activities. Mahlambi said that should these allegations be true, this would constitute unethical and unprofessional behaviour and was a dismissible offence. Political activities at schools are prohibited by law. Mahlambi said Hlomuka would visit the school on Friday as part of his responsibility to ensure that teaching and learning continued free from undue political interference. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mlungisi Mhlophe-Gumede at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
No planes, no pilots, no flying hours for SA Air Force News24 reports that SA Air Force (SAAF) pilots and crews are struggling to make minimum flying hours to keep them sufficiently current and retain their flying licences. Internal SAAF documents show there are doubts about the combat readiness of the two Gripen fighters and the three Hawk fighter trainers currently operable. In the absence of the fighter jets and competent pilots, SA would have to rely on land-based air defence systems to deter an air invasion. While the documents show that only two Grippen fighter jets were available for combat operations at 2 Squadron in Makhado during the past six months, it also stated they were only "available 54%" of the time, as their combat readiness "varies". The documents also show that the SAAF’s lone operable Rooivalk attack helicopter was only available 30% of the time, highlighting the dire state of the country’s military air support. A single Hercules C130 transporter plane was available between September 2024 and 7 March this year, but could not be operated due to "aircrew currencies". "Aircrew currencies are the compliance requirements the crew must complete and pass to have the efficiencies and skills to fly our airframes in very specific conditions and circumstances," explained former MP Kobus Marais. He warned that without sufficient flying hours, SAAF pilots could lose their qualifications. "The minimum flying hours are not just about flying the aircraft," said military analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman, adding that "the fighter pilots have to keep current with using the weapons as well". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sikonathi Mantshantsha at News24
Safa insiders blame ‘chaotic’ hierarchy for latest failure to pay salaries SowetanLive reports that chaos, an absence of proper corporate governance and poor financial controls have been cited as the main reasons for the SA Football Association’s (Safa’s) failure to pay salaries timeously for the second time since December. In a letter sent to employees after business hours on Monday, Safa confirmed it could not pay salaries “due to a delayed payment from one of our partners”. It promised the salaries would be paid by the end of this month. Insiders on Tuesday painted a grim picture of the turmoil at Safa House. They blamed the association’s hierarchy for the latest failure to pay employees’ salaries, just three months after their December salaries arrived late. One Safa official commented: “How do you run such a key organisation without a proper budget? It’s just pure incompetence. We are supposed to have a standing committee on finance to oversee what happens to the funds that come in. But that committee is basically nonexistent.” Another insider pointed out that Safa’s finances had become strained thanks to dwindling sponsorship income and because it could no longer dip into the Fifa Legacy Trust. Another Safa staffer complained that the association should have informed its employees earlier that salaries would not be paid by Tuesday so they could make arrangements with service providers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nkareng Matshe at BusinessLive
Real take-home pay higher in February, but risks loom The Citizen reports that lower consumer inflation boosted real take-home pay higher in February but despite the monthly improvement, growing downside risks to economic growth prospects in 2025 are looming. According to BankservAfrica’s Take-home Pay Index (BTPI), take-home pay increased encouragingly in February as the sharp slowdown in inflation through 2024 continued to positively affect salary earners’ buying power. “Real take-home pay, adjusted for inflation, increased by 0.9% on a monthly basis to reach R15,799 in February. This also represented a notable improvement of 10.7% on year-ago levels and the highest in three years.” In 2024, the average real take-home pay was R14,292, up by 3.1%, representing the first increase since 2020. Should inflation remain well-contained, 2025 would likely be the second consecutive year of positive real take-home pay growth, according to Elize Kruger, an independent economist. “This is much needed as salary earners remain under pressure due to the soaring cost of living, high interest rates and additional taxes, namely the higher VAT rate and no adjustment to personal income tax brackets recently announced in Budget 2025,” Kruger pointed out. Meanwhile, the nominal average take-home pay increased marginally to R18,241 in February 2025, compared to R18,141 in January, but still above the level of R15,983 a year earlier, continuing the upward trend in take-home pay over the past eight months. According to publicly available data sources, the nominal salary increases for 2025 are forecast to range between 4.1% and 6.5%. Kruger also noted that there was a distinct trend emerging among companies with a strong unionised culture towards multi-year wage agreements, which have led to more consistent salary increases. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at Personal Finance
Calls for Gauteng govt. to redirect investment for Gautrain expansion SABC News reports that the Automobile Association (AA) has urged the Gauteng government to redirect the investment planned for the expansion of the Gautrain towards a more accessible and affordable transport system. The call came after Finance MEC Lebogang Maile announced the expansion plans during the provincial budget speech last week. The association’s chief executive officer Bobby Ramagwede criticised the government’s decision, saying the project was financially unsustainable and did not address the needs of most commuters. “Government serves the people and the people do not have inclusive and accessible mobility. So, our call to the government is take some time to focus on providing mobility for those who really need it. Let’s be fair and frank, the Gautrain is a train system for those who can afford alternative means of transportation. Those who cannot afford alternative means of transportation are slightly stranded,” said Ramagwede. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News
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