Today's Labour News

newsThis 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.

news shutterstockIn our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.


TOP STORY – LOOMING GAUTRAIN STRIKE

Gautrain shutdown looms as Numsa secures strike certificate

IOL Business reports that Gautrain services could soon grind to a halt as the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has been granted a certificate by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) permitting a protected strie. This after the collapse of wage negotiations with the Bombela Operating Company (BOC), which manages operations of the rail service.   Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola advised on Wednesday: "Wage negotiations deadlocked on the 9th of June 2025 and Numsa filed a dispute with the CCMA, which was heard yesterday. Unfortunately, parties were still unable to find one another due to the arrogance of the Bombela Operating Company (BOC) management, which has resulted in a certificate to strike being issued." Some of the key demands from the workers include a 7% across-the-board wage increase, an increase in the housing allowance from R1,300 to R1,600, a rise in the transport allowance from R125 to R150, an increase in the night shift allowance from R38 to R50 per hour, and a boost in the KPI bonus from R9,600 to R15,000. According to Hlubi-Majola, the BOC failed to present a meaningful offer, instead proposing a 4.2% wage increase, which the workers have categorically rejected.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mthobisi Nozulelaat at IOL Business. Lees ook, Staking by Gautrein dreig, by Maroela Media


OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Murdered Ekurhuleni audit manager Mpho Mafole started in the job only three months ago

TimesLIVE reports that Parliament's co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) portfolio committee reacted with shock to the news of the assassination of Mpho Mafole, the City of Ekurhuleni’s head of corporate and forensic audits. The 47-year-old was shot dead on Monday while driving on the R23 in Esselen Park. He was appointed to the position only three months ago. Cogta committee chairperson Zweli Mkhize said: “He brought with him an impressive track record of public service, including 14 years in the office of the auditor-general. He was tasked with uncovering financial irregularities and promoting transparency in the City of Ekurhuleni, one of the country’s largest municipalities. The nature of Mafole’s work underscored the often dangerous responsibilities undertaken by those at the forefront of rooting out corruption in our public institutions.” Mkhize added: “This cowardly and violent act also seeks to intimidate and hinder efforts to build clean and accountable governance, particularly in our municipalities where systemic failures persist.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE. Read too, Family seeks answers after Ekurhuleni auditor's murder, at SowetanLive. And also, Improve protection of anti-corruption officials, whistle-blowers, says Mkhize, at TimesLIVE

eThekwini municipality staff repairing township roads attacked by alleged mafias

Sunday World reports that the staff of the eThekwini roads department are living in fear after having been repeatedly attacked by a group of suspected “mafias” who confiscate their maintenance equipment, saying the job should be left to them and their companies. As a result, the staffers are now reluctant to go out and repair roads in notorious northern townships like KwaMashu and Newlands West.   Making matters worse are allegations that the staff’s plea to be accompanied by armed security guards whenever they go to these areas have fallen on deaf ears. Allegedly, the deputy head for the roads maintenance department, Thanda Zulu, has claimed that they do not have money to provide armed security guards. As a result, some roads in these townships are in a bad state as staff members are reluctant to venture there. According to an internal report, the attacks started mid last year, and have since intensified. The last incident of an attack was reported in May this year. Municipal staffers were attacked and their equipment was taken away in KwaMashu’s section bordering Ntuzuma township. It is not clear whether the equipment was later recovered or not.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sihle Mavuso at Sunday World

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

  • Gang holds staff at Buffalo City Metro filling station at gunpoint and blows up ATM, at DailyDispatch (subscriber access only)
  • KZN hitman convicted of 2017 murder of Richmond municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)


MINING SECTOR

De Beers' Venetia mine achieves landmark 13-million fatality-free shifts

Mining Weekly reports that De Beers Group’s Venetia mine, in Limpopo, has reached a landmark achievement of 13-million fatality-free shifts, placing the mine among a small group of mining operations in Southern Africa that have reached that level of sustained safety performance.   The diamond miner said the accomplishment reflected the unwavering commitment of employees, contractors and leadership to creating and sustaining a safe and caring work environment. The mine has implemented a range of proactive safety initiatives over the years, with a focus on embedding a culture of shared responsibility and vigilance. One such initiative is the Safe Sentry programme where team members nominate a sentry for each shift to observe, record and communicate safety behaviours and potential hazards in real time. “At Venetia mine, we believe zero harm is possible, and this achievement brings us closer to making that belief a reality,” said De Beers Venetia mine senior GM Ntokozo Ngema.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly

Other general posting(s) relating to mining

  • Minerals Council warns against chrome export tax, implores government to consult, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)


COST OF LIVING / PRICES

Inflation expectations drop below 4% for first time in four years, fuelling prospects of interest rate cut

BL Premium reports that SA’s inflation expectations fell to their lowest in four years, with respondents to the Bureau for Economic Research’s (BER’s) latest survey anticipating consumer price growth below 4% for 2025. According to the BER’s second quarter survey released on Wednesday, respondents on average revised their forecast for headline inflation in 2025 down to 3.9%, from 4.4% previously. Expectations for 2026 and 2027 were similarly adjusted lower to 4.3% and 4.5%, respectively. Over the next five years respondents expect inflation to stabilise at 4.4%, very close to the Reserve Bank’s current target midpoint of 4.5%. The BER’s survey captures the views of business people, trade union officials and financial analysts. Among those groups, analysts have the most benign view, predicting consumer inflation of 3.4% this year. Business executives expect 4.3%, while trade union representatives see it at 4%. Earlier this week, SA Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago reiterated those views in the Bank’s annual report: “[Inflation] is likely to be below 4% this year... While risks to the outlook remain, there can be little doubt that inflation has been brought back under control for now.” If this trend endures, it could ease pressure on the Reserve Bank, setting the scene for the monetary policy committee to consider another rate cut at its July meeting. The repo rate is currently at 7.25%.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jana Marx at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Inflation expectations drop to near four-year low, create room for rate cut this month, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

  • Durban has cheapest grocery basket – but families still can’t afford to fill it, at TimesLIVE


UNPAID WAGES / SHORT PAY

With thousands of starving chickens slaughtered, Daybreak farmworkers protest over unpaid salaries

SowetanLive reports that about 100 employees of Daybreak Farm in Delmas, where 200,000 chickens had had to be slaughtered as they had no food and started cannibalising each other, staged a protest on Wednesday morning over unpaid wages. They closed the R50 with rocks, resulting in motorists having to be turned away at both ends of the road. The farm, which is owned by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), is in business rescue. It was reported in May that two directors of the farm received six-figure payments, while workers went unpaid and the chickens were left to starve. Nomathemba Lebeko, a spokesperson for the employees, said they had not been paid their June salaries. She indicated: “The last time we were paid our full salaries was the end of February, from there we were paid 50% of our salaries. The company then failed to pay us at the end of June. They are telling us that they have asked the PIC to fund them so they can pay us. But we know that PIC has funded them, they are just playing delaying tactics. Some of our colleagues are being evicted because they can’t pay rent. They don’t know where they will be sleeping.”   The employees have accused the company of not being transparent with them, and failing to take responsibility for its failures.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thulani Mbele at SowetanLive

SANDF and union Sandu meet to discuss DRC-deployed soldier allegations of short payments

TimesLIVE Premium reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) met on Tuesday to discuss claims by soldiers returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that they have been short-paid in their Southern African Development Community (Sadc) allowances. It was reported last week that disgruntled soldiers were claiming to be out of pocket to the extent of R600,000. One of the aggrieved soldiers claimed he and his comrades should have been paid R100,000 a month during their 15-month deployment as part of a Sadc force in the eastern DRC, but had received only R58,000. Last week, the SANDF, while not denying the claim, said the soldiers had to follow the correct grievance process. On Wednesday, SANDF head of communications Admiral Prince Tshabalala confirmed that the meeting had taken place. He commented further: “Actually, nothing changed except that all what was discussed before was reaffirmed again between all parties – that Sandu must wait for the process of demobilisation to end and then all matters pertaining to outstanding allowances will be dealt without any prejudice to the members.   Those members that still had grievances will then lodge their individual grievances accordingly in terms of the SANDF grievance procedures. Should this be a collective issue, it will be dealt with within the appropriate structures of Bargaining Council.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hendrik Hancke at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)


TSHWANE OVERTIME POLICY

‘Tshwane has saved more by cutting overtime’, claims spokesperson

Sunday World reports that the City of Tshwane has defended its decision to limit overtime hours in an effort to comply with labour laws and improve the management of public resources. This was in response to allegations by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane, which claimed that the city has lost R130-million in revenue due to the new overtime policy. According to Selby Bokaba, City of Tshwane spokesperson, it is incorrect to state that the city has lost such an amount without considering how much the city has saved on non-consumption and paying overtime during this period. “Less consumption also indicates that there was less bulk purchases from Eskom, which then balances the equation out. This simply means that when all factors are taken into consideration, the city has technically not lost any revenue,” Bokaba claimed. He explained that the move to introduce the policy was not about cutting corners, but was to correct long-standing problems raised by the Auditor-General about staff not being allowed to work more than 40 hours overtime in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Secondly, overtime was being worked to do normal or routine work. Bokaba noted that the city’s collective bargaining agreement allowed for overtime beyond 40 hours, but only under strict conditions. The city now limits overtime to 8pm on weekdays and from 7.30am to 8pm on weekends to ensure that the city focuses its efforts on peak periods when power is most needed.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Boitumelo Kgobotlo at Sunday World


PROTEST LEADS TO SUSPENSIONS

Whittlesea nurses suspended after video showing naked patient circulates on social media and residents protest

GroundUp reports that residents of Whittlesea in the Eastern Cape are demanding the dismissal of three nurses at Hewu Hospital, who are accused of taking a video of a naked patient last month and circulating it on social media. The patient died the same day. The residents say the patient was not helped in time because she did not have the R90 which the hospital charged people who walked in without a referral letter, unless it was an emergency. Residents protested several times last month about this matter and plan another protest next week. Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Siyanda Manana confirmed that the nurses had been suspended pending an investigation. But community leader Ntombozuko Dimaza said residents wanted the nurses to be fired. “We have been complaining about the bad services in this hospital and also the poor infrastructure. But no one listened to us. What they did now is even worse, taking a video of a naked patient and circulating it on social media. And as the community we believe that the woman was not assisted because she didn’t have the R90,” he indicated. The hospital is in poor condition, with leaking roofs and broken toilets. Manana said Hewu Hospital was set to be renovated this year. He also said the nurses could not be replaced because they had not been dismissed.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik at GroundUp


ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

Many Hoërskool Waterkloof parents back principal despite serious misconduct allegations against him

EWN reports that more than 1,000 parents at Hoërskool Waterkloof say they will not withdraw their support for the principal, Chris Denysschen, despite serious misconduct allegations against him, including claims of grooming. The parents spoke out after a media briefing held at the offices of the legal team representing several complainants. They accused the Gauteng Education Department of sidelining their voices. Denysschen faces multiple accusations involving alleged inappropriate conduct with minors, as well as claims that he interfered with witnesses in an internal disciplinary process. Several Hoërskool Waterkloof parents, who said they represented a WhatsApp group of over 1,400 members, insisted that the claims against Denysschen did not reflect the man they knew. At the briefing, they defended the principal's leadership, praising the school's academic performance and noting its status as Gauteng's top public school for distinctions in last year's matric results. Denysschen was precautionarily transferred to the Tshwane South district office last Friday after the department said he had allegedly interfered with witnesses linked to his disciplinary case, which started last year

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Mongezi Koko at EWN


ALLEGED WORKPLACE CRIME /CORRUPTION

Three City of Tshwane officials appear in court over theft of R7m transformer

News24 reports that three City of Tshwane officials accused of stealing a transformer worth R7 million appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Sphiwe Mahlangu, Thomas Baloi and Daniel Kubayi are facing charges of theft of essential infrastructure. The three were arrested on Tuesday at their workplaces following a police investigation into a crime syndicate that reportedly began operating in November 2024.   According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), on the afternoon of 7 November 2024, the Tshwane Metro Police Department and police received a tip-off about a theft taking place at the Claudius substation in Laudium.   “When they arrived at the scene, they found cranes, trucks, and a City of Tshwane-marked truck at the substation.   When the police requested proof of work authorisation and it could not be produced, 11 people were arrested on the scene, and 10 were later released from police custody,” NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana reported. According to the police, the 10 people released were subcontractors who could not be linked to the crime. The eleventh person, Madimetja Jacob Malebane, a City of Tshwane official, appeared in court in November 2024 and was released on bail. Mahlangu, Baloi, and Kubayi allegedly left the scene before the police arrived.   The matter was postponed to Friday for a bail application

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Sibiya at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Read too, Attorneys representing Tshwane workers accused of theft confident clients will be granted bail, at EWN

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

  • Four police officers in Joburg court after most of R900,000 seized during raid goes missing, at The Citizen


ALLEGED SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Tribunal hears Mbenenge referred to female staff as ‘big girls’, ‘children’, often commented on their appearance

Daily Maverick reports that on Wednesday, when giving evidence in favour of Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge, court secretary Zintle Nkqayi testified that the judge president was in the habit of addressing female staff as “big girls” and “children”. Mbenenge stands accused of sexual harassment by fellow court secretary Andiswa Mengo. Nkqayi later unexpectedly revealed she had left the division in April 2025 as she feared she would end up in a “mental institution” because of “depression”.   Nkqayi, who first worked as a stenographer in Bisho before being transferred to work as Mbenenge’s secretary from 2020, said the judge president also regularly commented on women’s appearance. Asked by Mbenenge’s legal representative advocate Griffiths Madonsela whether this was “unusual”, Nkqayi replied “he did this to everyone” and that this was merely his characteristic way of interacting with staff. Mbenenge has not denied the relationship with Mengo, but has insisted it was consensual. However, this week renowned gender-based violence and sexual harassment expert Lisa Vetten testified as an expert witness and concluded from the 47 conversations that had taken place that the relationship had been coercive and unwanted.   Mbenenge, she said, had not been able to take “no” for an answer. Later, Mbenenge’s legal representative Musi Sikhakhane suggested that Vetten had been unable to grasp the isiXhosa “cultural” nature of the judge president’s “courting”. Vetten had earlier testified that labour laws governing the workplace sought precisely to prevent the kind of blurring of boundaries between those in power and those who were not. The tribunal continues.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marianne Thamm at Daily Maverick. Read too, Judge Selby Mbenenge’s former secretary says he was at the bank during alleged flashing incident, at Mail & Guardian. And also, Tribunal hears that Mengo provided conflicting accounts of event involving Mbenenge's ex-secretary, at EWN

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

  • ‘Sekspes’-juffrou se aansoek om borgtog sloer, by Maroela Media


OTHER REPORTS OF INTEREST

  • Few South Africans are planning to retire, survey shows, at Mail & Guardian
  • It’s a bumpy ride on Durban’s Metrorail, with trains late, slow and often empty, at GroundUp
  • eThekwini Municipality senior official fights demotion in Labour Court after appointment row, at The Mercury
  • Alleged bogus teacher still behind bars as bail application postponed, at The Witness
  • Government urged by Sadtu to invest more resources to support teachers in Free State, at SABC News

 


Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page