In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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SA shed 74,000 formal sector jobs in first quarter of 2025 BL Premium reports that data released on Tuesday showed that 74,000 jobs were shed in formal sector in the first quarter of the year. According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Employment Statistics survey, employment in the non-agricultural sector contracted by 0.7% between December and March, shrinking the total number of jobs to 10,579,000. The biggest job losses came from the trade (52,000), community services (17,000) and mining (4,000) sectors, while business services, construction and electricity shed another 1,000 workers each. A slight improvement in the manufacturing sector did little to offset the decline with manufacturing jobs increasing by 2,000 from the previous quarter. SA’s official unemployment rate rose to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025 from 31.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024. On an annual basis, total employment was down by 0.9% from March 2024. With six of the eight industries included in the survey posting fewer jobs than in December, Investec economist Lara Hodes said the outcome was indicative of a “lacklustre economy”. She explained: “Economic growth rose marginally in the first quarter of the year as the economy continues to face a number of challenges, with business confidence weak, weighing on investment potential.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Stats SA links first quarter job losses to muted economic growth, at EWN. En ook, 74,000 minder werk in eerste kwartaal, by Maroela Media Unemployed KZN doctors protest over delayed job postings The Witness reports that on Monday morning unemployed doctors protested once again in their third sit-in of the year outside the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier to demand that provincial healthcare posts be advertised immediately. Thamsanqa Zakwe and Nosihle Hlophe, members of the organising committee for the sit-in, said previous protest actions had failed to deliver the desired outcome – namely, the posting of jobs and meaningful engagement with Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane and Premier Thami Ntuli. The first sit-in took place in January outside Natalia, and the second was held in March at the premier’s office. Both sit-ins lasted between three and five days. The latest protest was prompted by the prolonged delay in advertising doctor posts in the province, following Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s announcement that new positions would be made available. In April this year, Motsoaledi announced that 1,200 doctors’ posts, 200 nursing positions and 250 other healthcare vacancies had been approved by the department at a cost of R1,78 billion. The doctors said that since that announcement, other provinces had posted positions, but KZN had not. “There is funding for these positions, so why have they not been advertised yet?” Until we see posts in this province being advertised, we will remain here,” Zakwe indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prashalan Govender at The Witness Other internet posting(s) in this news category
One dead, four injured in scaffolding collapse at Durban mall on Tuesday The Witness reports that one person was killed and four more were injured in a structural collapse at a Durban mall in the Springfield Park area on Tuesday morning. According to Garrith Jamieson of ALS Paramedics, they received calls at around 11.30 am from multiple people asking for help. “Initial reports are that a construction team was working on scaffolding when the scaffolding gave way. Paramedics arrived on the scene to find total chaos as they found that the five workers had fallen approximately six metres to the ground,” he reported. Jamieson went on to indicate: “One person, a male believed to be in his forties, sustained major injuries and there was nothing paramedics could do for him and he was declared deceased on the scene. The remaining four patients had sustained injuries ranging from moderate to critical and once stabilised on scene by ALS Paramedics, they were transported to the Ahmed Al Kadi hospital for further treatment.” The police were in attendance and will be investigating further. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Akheel Sewsunker at The Witness. Read too, One dead, four injured in structural collapse at popular Durban shopping centre, at The Citizen Three teachers on their way to school killed in Eastern Cape crash, two severely injured The Citizen reports that three female teachers were killed, and two others severely injured, in a vehicle collision in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday. The identities of the teachers are currently unknown. The crash involving a bakkie occurred on a rural road near Canzibe Hospital in Ngqeleni, OR Tambo District. The two injured individuals were transported to a hospital in Mthatha. Eastern Cape Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose reported: “It is alleged that the bakkie, used as a staff transport, lost a tyre, the driver lost control, and the vehicle veered off the road, killing the three people on impact. It is believed that the vehicle was used as a staff transport by teachers from a nearby school. Three teachers, all females, have died while two others, including the driver, also female, were critically injured.” A case of culpable homicide has been opened for further investigation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen. Read too, Three teachers killed in Eastern Cape crash, at SABC News Walter Sisulu University senior staff get extra security after deputy vice-chancellor gunned down Daily Maverick reports that on 19 June 2025, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Support and Development at Walter Sisulu University (WSU), Sinethemba Mpanbane, was shot multiple times while seated in his vehicle at the entrance of the university’s Nkululekweni facility in Mthatha, where he also lived. Mpambane was hired in December last year to be part of the institutional support and development team. According to WSU council chairperson, advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, private security will be provided to all senior staff members, especially those holding strategic positions in finance, procurement and infrastructure development. “This comes at a cost, but we took an emergency decision to do this for now. We will reassess the situation in a month. We have also appealed, once again, to the police for extra security measures. We cannot divert all our limited resources to security; hence, we must insist that the state play its role in providing safety and security inside and outside of campus,” Ngcukaitobi indicated. Police said they discovered the victim dead inside a stationary vehicle. Preliminary forensic analysis confirmed the victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds while in the driver’s seat. R27,000 was discovered in Mpanbane’s vehicle. The SAPS said the motive behind the murder was still unknown, but ruled out robbery as a motive. A special unit has been established to conduct the investigation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Goni at Daily Maverick Nearly 400 commercial fishing deaths recorded in SA since 1996, deputy minister laments Cape Times reports that according to Deputy Transport Minister, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, the tragedy that befell 11 crew members of the 63-year-old vessel, MFV Lepanto when it capsized off Kommetjie last year and the incident involving its sister vessel, Armana, which went up in flames a few months later, were indictments of systems that had to be fixed. Speaking at the Cape Town Waterfront Jetty on Monday, Hlengwa said: “These events shook this nation – and rightly so. These are not isolated tragedies. They are warnings. They are calls to action that we can no longer afford to ignore.” He reported that earlier this year, the Department of Transport had directed the SA Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to undertake a comprehensive, nationwide audit, which commenced in Gqeberha and has reached every major fishing port in SA. SAMSA has identified three key findings so far, including the age of the fleet, which compromises the structural integrity of the vessels. The vessels also have stability-related issues, whereby the ships' intake stability under different loading conditions starts to deteriorate. Another finding is the inefficiency of safety management systems. In his address, Hlengwa said that since 1996, nearly 400 commercial fishing fatalities have been recorded in SA, with over half of them occurring in the Western Cape. “Every life lost at sea is one too many. Every unsafe vessel is a threat not just to a crew, but to the entire social fabric of our coastal communities. Safety is not a privilege for the few. It is a right for all,” Hlengwa pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Theolin Tembo at Cape Times Suspect arrested for fatal shooting of two EMPD officers Bedfordview and Edenvale News reports that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing of two Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers earlier this month in Thembisa. On 20 June, members of the EMPD’s Northern Region Task Team, working in collaboration with SAPS District Crime Intelligence, apprehended a 37-year-old foreign national male believed to be linked to the fatal shooting of Constable Thabang Piet Maluleke and Constable Kagiso Francis Motshabi. The two officers were ambushed, shot, and robbed of their service pistols on 12 June while reporting for night duty in the Umthambeka Section of Thembisa. Authorities confirmed that investigations were ongoing to trace additional suspects involved in the heinous crime. “This tragic loss serves as a reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers face daily,” said EMPD spokesperson Thabiso Makgato. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Kamogelo Magolo at Bedfordview and Edenvale News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Crisis-hit SA car makers face 10% wage hike demand from Numsa Bloomberg reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is demanding that employers in the vehicle manufacturing sector, including BMW SA and the local units of Toyota and Ford, give workers 10% raises ahead of talks that will settle wages for the next three years. But, while that’s more than three times the annual inflation rate, it’s the union’s lowest initial ask in at least four negotiation cycles and comes as several headwinds threaten the long-term viability of manufacturing vehicles and components locally. Formal wage negotiations have yet to begin. Numsa’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola has indicated that an inflation-linked increase was “unrealistic” because the union’s members were struggling to survive. Averting a fourth-consecutive deadlock in pay talks and a potential strike by more than 100,000 workers is seen as key for the survival of an industry that has long been hobbled by electricity-supply constraints and logistics challenges. Industry association data show global trade wars are also weighing on exports, which account for about two thirds of vehicles produced in SA. While higher tariffs imposed by the US on imported vehicles and components only took effect in April, shipments to North America had already declined 73.2% year-on-year in the three months through March. Given changes in the operating environment, key players in the industry have asked the government to bring forward a review of its production-incentive programme and so-called industry master plan to 2025. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at News24 Business (subscription / trial registration required)
NUM set to support SACP in 2026 municipal elections BL Premium reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is set to back the SA Communist party’s (SACP’s) decision to contest the 2026 local government elections independently of the ANC. However, the union’s congress delegates will have the final say on the matter. NUM is holding a three-day national elective congress in Boksburg. In its secretariat report, the Cosatu affiliate called for the mobilisation of the “popular front of the left” against the government of national unity (GNU). The SACP announced in December 2024 it would contest the 2026 local government elections under its own banner. The party, which has campaigned for the ANC since SA’s first democratic elections in 1994, has become increasingly critical of its track record and has spoken out against state capture, malfeasance, maladministration, looting, and poor service delivery. SACP leaders such as Gwede Mantashe, Blade Nzimande, David Masondo, Thulas Nxesi and the late Pravin Gordhan have served in the ANC government for years, despite the party announcing periodically it was considering contesting elections on its own to take up the plight of the working class and the poor. In its congress documents, the NUM bemoaned the country’s socioeconomic crises and blamed the GNU for “substituting” the tripartite alliance (the ANC, Cosatu and SACP) as the “strategic centre” of power. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, NUM president Dan Balepile slams ANC for working with ‘class enemies’, at Sunday World
Higher Education Minister apologises to advocate Terry Motau for Seta panel ‘misunderstanding’ Sunday World reports that Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has met with advocate Terry Motau SC after he distanced himself from any involvement in the selection of Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) chairpersons. In a statement on Tuesday, Nkabane indicated that she met with Motau to apologise for misrepresenting him and causing confusion by listing the legal eagle as the chair of the five-member Seta appointment panel when he was never officially hired for the job. “The purpose of this engagement was to seek a shared understanding of the matter and to express regret for the confusion caused. The minister conveyed her sincere apology to advocate Motau for any inconvenience, reputational discomfort, or misunderstanding that may have arisen,” the ministry said. The statement continued: “There was never any intent to misrepresent advocate Motau’s role or to cause harm to his professional standing. The misunderstanding has now been constructively resolved, and there is a mutual understanding between the parties.” Last week, a letter from Motau to Nkabane was leaked in which he denied ever being part of the panel that recommended ANC-aligned individuals to chair 21 Setas. Motau had been listed as part of the panel alongside Nelisiwe Semane, Mabuza Ngubane, and Rhulani Ngwenya. The names were released by the minister last week after pressure from the higher education portfolio committee. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Queenin Masuabi at Sunday World. Read too, Nkabane apologises to Motau for including his name on list of disputed Seta panel, at DailyDispatch. And also, Calls for Minister Nkabane's resignation grow as MKP joins the fray, at Cape Argus
RAF did not promise suspended CEO Collins Letsoalo a second term, board tells court BL Premium reports that Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo was placed on special leave by the RAF board in May pending a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) inquiry into multimillion-rand contracts and tenders at the fund. The board then withdrew the special leave placement and suspended Letsoalo on 3 June for not appearing before parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on 28 May. Letsoalo has since initiated an urgent application in the Pretoria High Court against the board’s decision to suspend him and wants the court to it set aside so that he can resume his duties. His term comes to an end on 6 August and he also wants to interdict the fund from advertising his position pending the “finalisation of the process to reappoint” him as the CEO for a second five-year term. “The board has resolved to renew my fixed contract of employment, which expires August 6,” Letsoalo stated, but this is a claim the board has denied. The case was due to be heard on Tuesday. In court papers, RAF board chair Zanele Francois dismissed the claim the board favoured Letsoalo’s reappointment. “The allegation that there was a decision by the board to reappoint him is incorrect and misleading to this honourable court. The board did not make a decision to reappoint the applicant. In fact, it does not have the power to make a decision reappointing the applicant,” Francois argued. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Lees ook, ‘Goeie rede’ om Letsoalo te skors – POF, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Popcru calls for stricter vetting of police officials responsible for training recruits SABC News reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has called for a proper vetting process for SA Police Service (SAPS) officers who are responsible for training recruits. This amid reports that several senior officers at police academies have sexually exploited police trainees. On Tuesday, the union was scheduled to lead a march to the Shorburg Building in Pretoria to advocate for workers’ rights and human dignity within the criminal justice sector. Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said there was an urgent need to review and reform the sexual harassment and misconduct policies within the SAPS. “Some of these allegations died down without them being resolved, and sometimes people are scared to come out. So, since the recent case has been happening and we have been advocating that people need to come out, we have been getting anonymous calls. And it seems the problem is actually much deeper than we actually thought. So, this is one of the things we will be utilising in order to address this challenge, so that even those who might have been quiet about such challenges do come out, so that we get the systems correct. So that in the future we avoid such incidents from occurring,” Mamabolo commented. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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