In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Workers' Day: Ramaphosa defends Godongwana as Cosatu rejects austerity measures News24 reports that as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to table his third fiscal framework in Parliament on 21 May, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa says there is no need to remove the minister. Speaking to journalists after delivering his Workers' Day message on Thursday in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, Ramaphosa said the debacle over the fiscal framework showed that SA’s democracy was maturing and he called for all stakeholders to draw lessons and look at ways to strengthen the budgetary process. The president's comments came amid calls for Godongwana's head after the scrapping of the VAT increase of 0.5 percentage points. Meanwhile, Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi told Ramaphosa that workers did not want a budget where they continued to be squeezed and that they rejected austerity measures. "We can no longer afford it. You cannot, therefore, president, balance the Budget by balancing it on the back of workers … The Budget must be progressive and not punishing. The Budget must be able to stimulate economic growth. It must create jobs and it must tax the wealthy," Losi exhorted. Referring to the SA Communist Party’s decision to contest next year's local government elections independently of the ANC, Losi indicated: “What we do not want is a divided Cosatu. What we don't want is a divided working class. What we do not want is to see ourselves going below 40% (of electoral support) and losing complete state power. And, therefore, as our alliance, you have a responsibility to unite us, or else history will bury us all." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, Western Cape Cosatu reiterates call for pro-poor budget, at EWN SACP demands wealth tax increase instead of VAT hike IOL News reports that SA Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Solly Mapaila has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to replace the abandoned Value Added Tax (VAT) increase by increasing the wealth tax and introduce measures to enable the SA Service (SARS) to track down wealthy people who were dodging paying taxes. He was addressing the Cosatu May Day rally, which President Cyril Ramaphosa also addressed, at Kees Taljaard Stadium in Middleburg, Mpumalanga, on Thursday. Mapaila, who had previously indicated that the SACP would contest next year's local government elections against the ANC, said “down with the VAT increase”, “down with the GNU”. Ramaphosa angered the SACP after establishing the Government of National Unity (GNU), which included the DA, when the ANC lost its support during the May 2024 general elections. Various political parties and labour unions were also angered when Godongwana attempted to increase VAT. Godongwana is expected to table his revised budget exclusive of a VAT increase later this month. Mapaila stated: “We joined parties led by Cosatu and, in some instances, joined Saftu (South African Federation of Trade Unions) to fight against VAT. At least they should bring back the percentage that they reduced in the last round of reduction of capital income tax. That would give us more than four times what they wanted to do with the VAT.” In KwaZulu-Natal, Deputy President Paul Mashatile shared the podium with SACP national chairperson Blade Nzimande at Durban’s Curries Fountain Stadium. Indicating that the well-being of the working class has always been part of the ANC’s political ideology, he pledged “to continue with our fight for economic freedom and improvement of living wages for all workers.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongani Hans at IOL News Cosatu reiterates its call for tax-free ‘two pot’ retirement fund withdrawals EWN reports that trade union federation COSATU has reiterated its call for tax-free retirement fund withdrawals. Cosatu general secretary Solly Phetoe made the call while addressing a large crowd of tripartite alliance supporters gathered at the Castle of Good Hope to commemorate Workers' Day. According to the SA Revenue Service (SARS), more than R43 billion in retirement funds has been withdrawn under the so-called ‘two-pot’ system since its establishment in September last year. This brought in more than R11 billion in taxes from more than two million retirement fund members. Phetoe said that the tax imposed by SARS was unfair. "Cosatu is now engaging Treasury that the next round, there must be no tax to the two-pot system because workers, (because) you take your R30,000, but you only get R17,000," he indicated. SARS has been urging individuals to only use their withdrawals for essential needs. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ntuthuzelo Nene at EWN Gloomy May Day for former Great North Transport staff as pensions remain unpaid Sunday World reports that as the country was celebrating Workers Day, more than 500 former staff members of Great North Transport (GNT) in Limpopo were still waiting for their pension funds from the government subsidized bus company. According to information, GNT has over the years deducted pension contributions from employees’ salaries. However, the employees have not been able to access their money after retiring because the money, which is said to be in the region of R300-million, was not paid to the pension administrators for the past 18 years. This has severely impacted some of the former workers. Some claim to have lost their properties, cars and other assets due as they failed to access their pension payouts after retirement. One of the affected members Mapula Tsetsewa indicated: We have protested for a number of times at the relevant government structures. And we had hoped to answers through our union, the Make It Happen Foundation (MAIFO). But all we get is promises. Some have died long before they could receive their hard-earned money. And my fear is that if I die too, my father will never get any cent.” She added that they were promised to get their money at the end of December last year, which never happened. The MEC for Limpopo Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET), Tshitereke Matibe, confirmed the matter. He said they are sticking to the approved recommendation that the matter be referred to law enforcement agencies. They will apparently decide as to who is affected and who is not, and what steps to take. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nakampe Lekwadu at Sunday World Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Police recover car deceased constables had been travelling in from Hennops River The Citizen reports that on Thursday police recovered a car from the Hennops River in Centurion that three constables had been travelling in when they went missing. The lifeless bodies of the three officers, along with two others, were found in the same river earlier this week. SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the car pulled from the river was the one the police had been searching for. The three constables travelling in the car were 24-year-old Constable Cebekhulu Linda, 30-year-old Constable Keamogetswe Buys, and 20-year-old Constable Boipelo Senoge from the Free State. The constables were travelling from Bloemfontein to their deployment area in Limpopo when they went missing. Their bodies, including that of an admin clerk from the Lyttelton Police Station in Centurion and one unidentified person, were found earlier in the week. The constables’ last known location was at the Engen garage near the Grasmere toll plaza on the N1 south of Joburg. Their vehicle tracking device and cellphones were turned off since the day of their disappearance. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshehla Cornelius Koteli at The Citizen. Read too, Missing VW Polo recovered from Hennops River, at IOL News. And also, Handbag and other items found in constables' car after it is pulled out of Hennops River, at TimesLIVE Ill-fated police car 'looks like it capsized first before it impacted with the wall' SowetanLIVE reports that national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola says the car in which three police constables were travelling when they disappeared last week may have capsized before hitting the barrier on the side of the road, landing in the Hennops River in Centurion. The car was retrieved from the river in Tshwane just after 2pm on Thursday after it was located. This was a few days after rescuers found the bodies of constables Cebekhulu Linda, 24, Boipelo Senoge, 24, and Keamogetswe Buys, 30, in the river along the N1 highway. The trio were travelling from their homes in Bloemfontein to Limpopo when they went missing last week. Speaking at the scene, Masemola said experts would now investigate how the vehicle ended up in the river. “We are going to undertake an investigation of the car so that we can come to a conclusion to what exactly happened ... you can see that the car looks like it capsized first before it impacted with the wall, including the barrier on the site. At this stage, it looks like an accident until we finalise the forensic investigation,” Masemola indicated. When asked about progress of the autopsies, Masemola said it was still part of the investigations but for now, there was nothing “sinister” that they had seen. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jeanette Chabalala at TimesLIVE. Read too, Investigations are underway into how three constables died, at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Phased withdrawal of SANDF troops from DRC under way in line with SADC directive News24 reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) announced on Wednesday that its soldiers have started to return to SA in a phased withdrawal from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "This withdrawal follows a directive issued during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government, held virtually on 13 March 2025," SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala indicated. SANDF soldiers have been stranded in the DRC since a January offensive led by the M23 armed group, which has taken control of vast regions of the country with support from Rwanda. Troops from SA and Tanzania were deployed in December 2023 as part of the SADC Mission in the Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC). Last month, the SADC decided to end its deployment after 17 soldiers died in the conflict. South African troops began evacuating from the DRC on Tuesday by way of withdrawal routes through Rwanda and Tanzania. Tshabalala said the final withdrawal plan prioritised the safe and organised return of personnel and assets. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Forty-four Ethiopian men found locked inside Sandton house The Citizen reports that forty-four Ethiopian men were found locked inside a Parkmore house in Sandton on Thursday morning. A case of human trafficking is being investigated. According to police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo, the men were found after security guards patrolling the area heard screams coming from the property. He said police responded and discovered dozens of men locked inside the house. One of the men who could speak some English” told the police that all the men were Ethiopians. The man, however, couldn’t say how long they had been locked in the house. Masondo said police were treating the men as illegal immigrants, but it is possible they were victims of human trafficking. “It is still early. We are trying to get an interpreter from Ethiopia … so we can get all the information about how they arrived here,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Gareth Cotterell at The Citizen
Families of 10 informal miners trapped down Krugersdorp mine since November beg for help GroundUp reports that ten informal miners have been trapped in an old Krugersdorp gold mine for five months after they were cut off by rising water, but no-one knows if they are dead or alive. They were trapped days after descending into an old shaft next to the Amatshe mine with seven others on 22 November last year. An underground stream cut them off from the shaft. Three managed to escape, and four died in the attempt. The remaining 10, who are believed to be Zimbabweans, were trapped when a tunnel collapsed. Family members of the trapped miners have sought help from the police, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), the Zimbabwean consulate, and civic organisations. Lawyers for Human Rights attorney Louise du Plessis said plans to take the matter to court were halted after the DMRE and police announced that a rescue mission was too dangerous. On 20 December, Du Plessis wrote to Amatshe Mining to indicate: “Any mine has various obligations in terms of both the Mine Health and Safety Act and the regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of any person in their mine. Four people have already died due to water being pumped into the shaft, despite knowing there were people inside.” But, Eddie Milne, CEO of Amatshe Mining, indicated that Amatshe “would not be involved in any form”, as “the operations were of an illegal manner specific to a shaft and historical holing that was previously closed by the DMRE”. On allegations that Amatshe had pumped water into the shaft in which the informal miners were working, he said: Please ask yourself where Amatshe Mining would find the water to pump into the mine and or shaft and or tunnel … Mines usually pump water out of underground workings to specifically stop flooding.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kimberly Mutandiro at GroundUp Sibanye-Stillwater sends SOS to NPA over illegal mining BL Premium reports that Sibanye-Stillwater has called on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to clamp down on illegal mining, which it says is harming investment prospects. The group witnessed its highest number of illegal mining incidents in more than a decade last year, with 540 incidents and 1,487 arrests recorded at its SA gold operations. At its SA platinum group metals (PGM) operations, the primary threat is the theft of copper cables, which cost the group R53.4m in direct financial losses last year, down from R113m in 2023. In its latest annual report Sibanye said illegal mining was a growing threat to the sustainability of the local industry and “undermines the rule of law and property rights, degrading the state’s ability to attract investment and meet its development goals”. The group was working with the NPA to “improve prosecution effectiveness”, but argued that the scale of the problem required a change in policy. It called for a reworking of the Precious Metals Act to “comprehensively criminalise” illegal mining. “Thus, in many cases illegal miners are charged with minor offences such as trespassing, which carries a maximum fine of R2,000, or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both, which is not a significant disincentive,” the producer pointed out. The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) of 2002 makes it a crime to be in possession of unwrought precious metal ore without the required statutory authorisation. However, the Act has long been criticised for its narrow definition of illegal mining, which prevents authorities from imposing punitive sentences. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Four wardens suspended after death of inmate in February at Goodwood correctional facility TimesLIVE reports that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has suspended four prison warders after the death of an inmate at Goodwood prison in Cape Town on 16 February. Quinton Fortuin, 44, died as a result of multiple blunt-force injuries. His death was classified as unnatural. On Thursday, national commissioner for correctional services Makgothi Thobakgale said the incident occurred during an unlocking procedure when Fortuin launched an unprovoked attack on correctional services official Lwandile Manise. “The assault was carried out with a sharpened object, resulting in serious injuries to Manise, including a broken arm. He was immediately assisted and transported to hospital for treatment. In response to the emergency, additional officials arrived and force was used to restrain the offender. Fortuin sustained injuries during this intervention and was transported to Karl Bremer Hospital, where he was declared deceased shortly after 12 noon,” Thobakgale reported. Fortuin faced several charges including triple murder, two counts of attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. “I assure the public that this matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness, and any misconduct uncovered will be met with appropriate disciplinary action,” Thobakgale indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kim Swartz at TimesLIVE. Lees ook, Goodwood-beamptes opnuut geskors ná DKD- onafhanklike ondersoek, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Senior NPA official in court for rape of 16-year-old TimesLIVE reports that a 47-year-old senior official at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Limpopo appeared in the Dzanani Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on charges of rape. The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi indicated: “It is alleged that since 2022, while the victim was 13 years old, the accused sexually abused her on several occasions. She further alleged that on April 29 the accused requested her to come to his place where he sexually abused her inside the garage. This latest incident prompted her to relate the abuse to her mother, who then notified the uncle and the matter was reported to Dzanani police station. The accused was arrested.” The man remains in custody and his case has been postponed to 8 May for profile and a possible bail application. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at TimesLIVE
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