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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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WSU staffer, family rescued after deadly shooting when students ran amok TimesLIVE Premium reports that a Walter Sisulu University (WSU) residence manager and his family were rescued by police after a confrontation with protesting students at the Nelson Mandela Drive campus in Mthatha. During the incident the manager allegedly shot dead one person and wounded two others. The students then allegedly set the staff member’s car on fire and attacked his wife, who later had to be admitted to hospital. Police spokesperson Brig Nobuntu Gantana said: “Students mobilised on Monday evening as they complained about the bad state of their residence. At about 7am on Tuesday, they went to the residence manager, who stays within the institution with his family, to confront him about the poor state of their residence.” He added that allegedly the residence manager shot at some male students and one person was killed and another was rushed to hospital for medical care. Gantana went on to indicate: “It is further reported that students mobilised and in the process the residence manager’s car was set alight and his wife was hit on the head with a hard object. The family was rescued by Mthatha Public Order Policing.” Police said no-one has been arrested as angry protesters had prevented them from accessing the campus and crime scene or interviewing witnesses. WSU spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo denied that the shooting victim was a student. “Authorities are working to determine the identity of the deceased and the reason for their involvement in the incident,” she said. The SA Students Congress provincial task team condemned the shooting. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lulamile Feni & Sikho Ntshobane at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Skietery by Walter Sisulu ‘nié geïsoleerde gebeurtenis’, by Maroela Media Walter Sisulu University denies that person who was shot dead on campus was its student News24 reports that Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in the Eastern Cape has denied that a person who was shot dead at its Mthatha campus on Tuesday morning was a student at the institution. This after a residence manager allegedly shot and killed a man and injured another two after an altercation with a group of students who had been protesting about conditions at their residences. Even though several students who were part of the scuffle confirmed that the deceased was a student, the university denied this on Tuesday afternoon. WSU spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo said only the injured were registered students. She advised that two students sustained minor injuries during the incident and added: "They were taken to hospital, treated, and have since been discharged. Tragically, a third person lost their life during the home invasion [at the residence manager's]. This individual is not a registered student nor a staff member of the university. Authorities are working to determine the identity of the deceased and the reason for their involvement in the incident." No arrests have as yet been made. On Tuesday afternoon, police were outside the campus trying to manage students who wanted to block the N2 near the university. A student leader commented: "There has always been an issue with the officials tasked with looking [after] residences. The students recently had a protest over a contracted security company. Students are unhappy with the conduct of the security company." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Slain Inanda police officer Sanele Dlamini to be laid to rest on Wednesday in Ixopo Daily News reports that slain police officer Sanele Dlamini, 36, will be laid to rest on Wednesday in his hometown of Ixopo, in southern KwaZulu-Natal. Dlamini was fatally wounded during a dramatic gunfight with criminals last week in the crime-ridden Inanda township, where he lived. He was off-duty at the time. The suspects stole his service pistol during the incident. During the gunfight, Dlamini managed to wound one of the suspects, who later reportedly revealed the names of his accomplices to the police. The police were still hunting for the suspects who are at large. This incident came as crime continued to surge in Inanda, which has gained the reputation as the country’s murder capital due to the high number of reported homicide cases in the area. The presence of a notorious criminal gang known as the West Gang has further worsened the situation. This prompted Inanda community members to stage a march last month, which was well attended, where they demanded increased police visibility and deployment in their township, located north of Durban. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lungani Zungu at Daily News Amid security guard reductions, PSA has safety concerns for Home Affairs staff IOL News reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) has accused the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) of drastically reducing the number of security guards it hires and has detailed incidents where officials have been attacked on duty. According to the union, earlier this month its members in the DHA office in Witbank reported that a group of angry clients stormed the office to attack them due to long queues and slow service delivery. "The clients entered from the backdoor that is designated for official use only. Officials in [the] Witbank office had to flee for the safety of their lives,” the union was informed. The PSA also claimed that the Witbank office currently only had one security guard, which was evidently not enough for a large office. Staff also complained that DHA clients were known to be aggressive or violent towards officials hence workers felt that reducing the number of security guards would pose a safety risk. The department was urged to reconsider the downsizing of security guards and prioritise its officials’ wellbeing. The PSA’s Peter Mngomezulu listed a number of similar incidents at Byron Place in Tshwane in November and incidents in Middleburg, Mpumalanga and Mogale City in Gauteng in January. "Furthermore, Alberton and Germiston offices always experience incidents where clients close them inside and refuse to leave if not helped. The police are always called to intervene,” he said. Last month, the DHA removed a security guard from its office in Randburg after he threatened clients with pepper spray following their refusal to leave after being informed there were system delays. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loyiso Sidimba at IOL News
CCMA gives Prasa 60 days to make ‘just and fair wage offer’ to unions BL Premium reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has given the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) 60 days to table a “just and fair” wage offer to its workforce. The United National Transport Union (Untu) and the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) declared the dispute in March after Prasa management refused to formally table a wage offer. This came after three attempts to initiate wage negotiations for 2025/26. During a CCMA process last Thursday, Prasa reportedly requested “a further 30 days to reassess its financial position, citing the need to review its first quarterly performance”. The CCMA elected to grant a 60-day extension to the conciliation process. From 10 April to 10 May, Prasa will complete its mandating process and from 11 May to 26 May there will be a facilitated collective bargaining process led by a CCMA commissioner. Untu’s Atenkosi Plaatjie noted: “Should the facilitation process fail, the matter will be returned to the CCMA for a final conciliation. If no resolution is reached, the CCMA will issue a certificate of nonresolution, after which labour may exercise its legal right to embark on protected industrial action.” The unions’ consolidated wage demands include a 15% across-the-board wage increase. They are also demanding a R3,000 housing subsidy, a standby allowance of R50 an hour, a night shift allowance of R10 an hour, a moratorium on retrenchments and a medical aid subsidy with the employer contributing 70%. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Huge ten-year fatality free achievement by Assmang at its six operations employing 10,000 workers Mining Weekly reports that manganese ore, manganese alloy, and iron-ore producer Assmang has achieved a major mining safety landmark by being totally fatality free for ten years. Jointly owned by African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) and Assore, Assmang operates three underground mines at Black Rock in the Northern Cape, and two opencast mines at Khumani and Beeshoek, also in the Northern Cape, plus a smelter in KwaZulu-Natal. “This is a proud and humbling moment for all of us at Assmang. Ten years of fatality-free operations is more than a number – it’s a powerful reflection of the values, discipline, and deep care our people have for one another,” ARM Ferrous CE Andre Joubert commented. With just over 10,000 people and a world-ranking lost time injury frequency rate of 0.11 per 200,000 shifts worked, Assmang has collectively achieved more than 28-million fatality-free shifts. Beeshoek has been fatality free for 22 years, Cato Ridge for 17 years, Black Rock for 16 years, and Khumani for a decade. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Only 12 out of 78 bodies of illegal miners brought up from Stilfontein shafts identified SABC News reports that only 12 bodies of illegal mine workers, who had died in abandoned mine shafts in Stilfontein in North West, have been positively identified by their families. Seventy-eight bodies were brought to the surface in a combined effort by the community and a government led retrieval operation. Months after the bodies of 78 illegal mineworkers were retrieved and despite intensified efforts to identify them, 66 bodies are still unclaimed in mortuaries across the province. The Department of Health spokesperson Tshegofatso Mothibedi indicated: “The National Act 61 of 2003 combined with the regulation 43 of forensic pathology services, it means that if we have bodies in our facilities for over 30 days, the municipal council or government in this instance is allowed to also bury these bodies. But given the circumstances and the sensitivity of the case, we know that some of these people are coming from our neighboring countries, we’ve decided that we will put that process on hold. But from next month, we’ll then begin the process of funerals.” The General Industries Workers Union of SA (GIWUSA) has been supporting the families through the repatriation and identification process and the union’s president Mametlwe Sebei said it was still a work in progress. The department said it remained committed to working with local and international authorities to ensure all the families found closure. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at SABC News Sixty-nine illegal miners, mostly undocumented foreign nationals, arrested in Limpopo The Citizen reports that a total of 69 illegal miners, including undocumented foreign nationals, have recently been arrested in Limpopo as the SA Police Service (SAPS) continues to clamp down on unlawful activities through its ongoing Operation Vala Umgodi. The suspects, aged between 18 and 46, were nabbed at the weekend in the Sekhukhune, Vhembe, Mopani, and Capricorn districts. SAPS regional spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said 65 of the suspects were undocumented foreign nationals. Meanwhile, four suspects aged between 28 and 33 were arrested separately on 13 April for illegal mining of sand after they failed to produce mining permits. Ledwaba said police in the Saselemani policing area caught the suspects in the act of loading sand on trucks. During the arrests, the police confiscated the trucks and shovels. These arrests come just a few weeks after Limpopo police nabbed 33 foreign nationals through Operation Vala Umgodi, which targets illegal mining activities and other associated crimes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lesego Seokwang at The Citizen Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Parliamentary select committee not happy with Post Office business rescue practitioners BL Premium reports that Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) Minister Solly Malatsi has expressed disapproval about the approach taken by the SA Post Office (Sapo) business rescue practitioners (BRPs) in not appearing before a parliamentary committee. Members of the National Council of Provinces select committee on economic development and trade were dissatisfied with the non-appearance on Tuesday by Sapo BRPs Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons at a virtual meeting and did not accept the delegation sent to represent them. They were meant to brief the committee on Sapo’s financial sustainability. Committee chair Sonja Boshoff said she would explore the possibility of summoning the BRPs under subpoena to appear before the committee with parliament’s legal adviser. Malatsi wrote in a letter to Boshoff: “We want to know where Sapo stands. I am completely dissatisfied with their approach to our request for this meeting today.” Rooplal insisted the BRPs had nothing to hide, had been very transparent with their reporting, had appeared before other portfolio committees and had released monthly reports to creditors and affected parties on the process underway. He said the BRPs were still engaging with government about the R3.8bn which was promised by cabinet at the time when Sapo was threatened with provisional liquidation and was instead placed in business rescue. No provision was made in the 2025/26 budget for this funding. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Dagvaar hulle, vra LP's na Poskantoor se sakeredders weer nie opdaag, by Netwerk24 (toegang slegs vir intekenare)
New Employment Equity regulations set compliance challenge for businesses by 2030 Business Report writes that businesses face a crucial compliance challenge after the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) on Tuesday gazetted two sets of Employment Equity (EE) Regulations effective from 1 January 2025. The DEL said: "The publication of these EE Regulations represents a pivotal step toward advancing transformation and inclusivity in the South African labour market. Employers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the new regulatory framework to ensure compliance and alignment with employment equity objectives." The regulations mandate designated employers to meet sector-specific equity targets by 2030, with hefty fines for non-compliance. Non-compliance carries penalties of up to R1.5 million or 2% of annual turnover. The new regulations, following up on the Employment Equity Amendment Act of 2022. They comprise General Administrative Regulations, which provide standardised reporting tools and compliance templates, and Regulations on Sector Numerical EE Targets, which set five-year goals for designated groups across 18 economic sectors at top occupational levels. Designated employers with 50 or more employees must align their EE plans with these targets to ensure equitable representation. Small employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from preparing EE plans and annual reports, but are encouraged to remain in the DEL’s database for compliance certification. The DEL, the Commission for Employment Equity and the CCMA intend to conduct national workshops to engage with various stakeholders in the labour market about the implications of the new legislation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Philippa Larkin at Business Report Solidarity questions legality of new employment equity regulations Maroela Media reports that Solidarity reacted sharply to the new employment equity regulations that were unexpectedly published in the Government Gazette on Tuesday. According to the trade union, at first glance the regulations appear to be procedurally illegal. Anton van der Bijl, Solidarity’s Deputy Chief Executive, commented: “These regulations on how affirmative action should be applied were never, as required, subjected to a public participation process. The public must be given the opportunity to comment. Moreover, it seems contradictory to the settlement that Solidarity reached with the government and which was also an order of the court.” The regulations set out what an employer must look at when drawing up an affirmative action plan. Van Der Bijl noted: “However, these regulations are not in line with the (court) settlement and refer, for example, to the economically active population as almost the only determining factor for affirmative action. All this while the settlement specifically stipulates that a variety of factors, including an employer’s operational requirements as well as the pool of available and qualified candidates, must be taken into account in such a consideration.” Also, while the regulations require an employer to comply with sectoral targets as declared by the minister, to date no such sectoral targets have been set, making compliance impossible. Solidarity said it would study the regulations and then decide on an appropriate plan of action. Read the full original of the report in Afrikaans about the above at Maroela Media
Justice department fires 54 officials for corruption, fraud and theft City Press reports that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCD) has dismissed 54 officials – for offences that include theft, corruption, fraud and dishonesty – as part of a crackdown on rogue elements within the department. In the 2024/25 financial year, the department recorded 223 labour relations matters as part of a clean-up campaign for a "capable and ethical public administration." According to DJCD Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi’s office, of these cases, 164 matters have been finalised, with 54 officials dismissed. Her spokesperson, Terrence Manase, said the finalised cases resulted in 41 suspensions, 15 resignations, four acquittals and withdrawals. He said the remainder resulted in a range of disciplinary sanctions, including verbal, written and final written warnings, all issued in line with due process and the gravity of each case. Manase said 15 cases were referred for criminal investigation and prosecution, signalling the department’s zero tolerance for serious breaches of the law. Kubayi lauded the speed and efficiency with which these matters were handled, stating that it dispelled the myth that the state was slow or incapable of acting decisively, especially in dealing with dismissals of officials for misconduct. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at City Press (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, Department of Justice cleans house, 54 officials dismissed, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). En ook, 54 uit justisiedepartement geskop, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Former Montagu police officer jailed for 25 years for raping teen in SAPS trauma room TimesLIVE reports that a former police officer has been sentenced to 25 years direct imprisonment by the Montagu regional court, which found him guilty of raping a teenage girl in the Western Cape in 2016. Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Phaladi Shuping reported: “W/O Frederick Soldaat, 64, was sentenced for an incident on August 30 2016 in Montagu. The complainant, who was 15 at the time, had had an argument with her mother at their home. W/O Soldaat, who was on duty, arrived at the house, and with the permission of the complaint's mother, took the complainant to the police station with the intention of calming the situation between the complainant and her mother.” When the two arrived at the police station, the accused took the complainant to the trauma room and raped her. The incident was reported to Ipid. Soldaat was arrested in September 2016 and resigned in 2017. The case was in court for several years due to postponements. Soldaat was convicted on 13 March and sentenced on Monday. His name will be entered in the national register for sex offenders. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Kim Swartz at TimesLIVE
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