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 roundup of weekend and recent reports,
see the following summaries of our selection of
South African labour-related articles.
|
KZN top cop Mkhwanazi accuses Police Minister of political interference in investigations News24 reports that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has registered a criminal investigation against Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu following claims of political interference in work carried out by a task team into political killings. In a briefing on Sunday, Mkhwanazi accused the minister of political interference in investigations and having an ulterior motive in disbanding the SA Police Service’s political killings task team, a unit based in KZN. Mkhwanazi said in March 2025, a total of 121 case dockets under investigation were taken away from the task team as directed by the deputy national commissioner of crime detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, who was acting on the instruction of Mchunu to disband the task team. In December 2024, Mchunu issued a directive for national police commissioner Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola to disband the task team. At the time, Mchunu claimed it was no longer necessary because it was not adding value to policing in the province. However, Mkhwanazi claimed that there have been no developments in those cases. According to Mkhwanazi, the reason behind the disbandment of the task team into political killings was that the KZN task team had unmasked the syndicate behind the killings, which involved politicians, law enforcement, SAPS, metro police and correctional services, prosecutors, judiciary and controlled by drug cartels as well as businesspeople. Mkhwanazi elaborated on Mchunu’s alleged ties to the underworld and corrupt police officers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Lees ook, KZN-polisiekommissaris impliseer Mchunu, politici by korrupsie, misdaad, by Maroela Media. En ook, Bewerings teen hom ‘ongegrond’, sê polisieminister, by Maroela Media
Ekurhuleni’s mayor hints at corruption link to killing of city’s auditor TimesLIVE reports that Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has hinted at a link between Mpho Mafole’s murder and the municipality’s ballooning infrastructure costs that include a building rehabilitation project in Germiston and a R2bn revenue shortfall in the city. Mafole, the city’s group divisional head for corporate and forensic audits, was shot dead while driving on the R23 near Kempton Park last week. While the motive for the killing remains unclear, questions are mounting over whether it was connected to his anti-corruption work. Speaking during Mafole’s funeral in Kempton Park on Sunday, Xhakaza referenced the city’s controversial R190m project to refurbish a building in Germiston that has so far cost more than R300m. “It is such things that auditors like Mpho would help us determine where the funds went when I have to account as the mayor,” Xhakaza said. Mafole’s killing came amid a R2bn revenue shortfall that has exposed the city’s financial mismanagement. Calls are growing for a full probe into irregular expenditure and contracts. No arrests have been made in connection with Mafole’s murder. Police are investigating. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Michelle Banda at TimesLIVE. Read too, Ekurhuleni mayor links auditor’s murder to missing R2bn, at City Press (subscription / trial registration required) Official in eTthekwini roads and storm water department shot dead while driving home TimesLIVE reports that a 51-year-old eThekwini municipal employee was shot and killed in Redcliffe in the north of Durban on Thursday night while travelling home. The man from Mhlasini was a deputy superintendent in the roads and storm water department. He was with a colleague and his girlfriend, who were injured when three gunmen opened fire at the vehicle. Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said their operations centre received calls for assistance after the shooting at the corner of Hazelmere Drive and Quarry Road shortly before 7pm. “Rusa officers and paramedics were dispatched and found the driver of the vehicle slumped in his seat. He was shot many times and died before the arrival of first responders,” said Balram. The trio came under fire from three men who had been standing at the side of the road. “The passengers fled. The gunmen continued shooting at the driver while they walked towards the car, said Balram. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Mfundo Mkhize at BusinessLive
Key roles at ports declared as essential services BL Premium reports that the state has widened the scope of essential services employees who will be barred from striking to include key operations at the country’s ports. According to a directive issued by the Department of Labour & Employment, the state has declared key roles at the country’s ports as essential services in a development that seeks to minimise labour disruptions at key facilities that are indispensable to SA’s trade with the rest of the world. Under the new regulations, marine services such as navigation and berthing are deemed essential. Berthing is a crucial process in managing congestion at ports, entailing safely navigating a vessel into its designated position alongside a pier, quay or dock so that cargo operations can proceed. Cargo services such as the offloading of explosives, gases and pharmaceutical products are now also deemed as essential, as are security services at the ports. SA’s ports have long been flashpoints of labour unrest, paralysing operations and forcing Transnet to declare force majeure, a legal provision invoked when obligations cannot be met due to extraordinary events. The new regulations also expand essential services to shore up national security and protect the integrity of the state’s ICT infrastructure. The hosting of data centre services and wide area network service line services by the State Information Technology Agency also now fall under the essential services ambit, as do primary healthcare services provided at SA’s universities. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Community rallies to support families left homeless after explosion at shack used by zama zamas to store explosives News24 reports that efforts are under way to assist four homeless families in Slovo Park, outside Springs, after a devastating explosion linked to illegal miners (zama zamas) left their homes destroyed. Local businesses and community members have stepped in to provide much-needed relief. The blast occurred on Friday when a shack, reportedly used by zama zamas to store explosives, caught fire and detonated. The police bomb squad was dispatched to the scene. The explosion severely damaged several nearby homes, causing roofs to collapse, walls to crack, and making structures unsafe. Among the worst affected were four families whose homes were damaged beyond repair. To address the crisis, local companies have donated corrugated iron sheets and other materials to erect temporary shacks for these families. Despite the adversity, the families have chosen to remain on their properties, and are rebuilding with the materials donated. Some residents with less severe damage began repairs to their homes, while others sought refuge at a local church. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Lees ook, Twee mense beseer in Springs-ontploffing, by Maroela Media. View pictures and video clip of damage at The Citizen
Nketoana Municipality turns to court to overturn its own bungled employment of workers Sunday World reports that the Nketoana Local Municipality has turned to the Free State High Court to dismiss general workers whom it says it hired unlawfully. According to court papers, the municipality wants the appointments invalidated and set aside after it hired 71 people. In May, it was reported that the municipality had advertised only 43 posts, but it is unclear how it ended up with the 28 more people. The chief financial officer, Jabulani Makubu, red-flagged the hirings as irregular and said this would cost the municipality at least R3.62-million per annum in basic salaries. In the court papers, the municipality admits to hiring even more people that it now seeks to also fire. Municipal manager Mokete Nhlapo indicated that the staff had not been paid since their employment commenced. He would not explain why the municipality was seeking to invalidate all appointments, including the 43 it agreed from the outset that it wanted to employ. Qaphodi Moloi of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union said that despite the administrative bungle that led to the appointments, the union wanted the employees to be paid for the time worked until the court resolution. He said each employee had expected to be paid R10,113 per month. In the union’s view, the employees should be given termination letters. Moloi reported that the municipality sought legal opinion and then gave the employees an option, namely it could re-advertise the posts or go to court. The employees rejected both and approached the CCMA. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Boitumelo Kgobotlo at Sunday World
Western Cape school principal gets job back after demotion over ‘kwedini’ remark to his deputy The Citizen reports that a primary school principal in the Western Cape, who was demoted for calling his deputy a “kwedini” (small boy) and threatening to hit him, has been reinstated following a successful appeal. Earlier this year, Mvuysi Damba was demoted to a teaching position at Sobambisana Primary School in Khayelitsha. The disciplinary action followed an incident in which he allegedly threatened to assault the deputy principal. Damba, who has served at the school since 1993, was found guilty on two counts of misconduct despite his absence from two scheduled disciplinary hearings. The hearing proceeded in his absence, and Damba was demoted, resulting in a salary reduction. He later challenged the decision, taking the Western Cape Department of Education to the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), claiming the demotion had been unfair. In his ruling, ELRC Commissioner Jacques Buitendag found the demotion to be unlawful because it was imposed without Damba’s consent as required by law. “In other words the employee must agree to the demotion,” he noted. Buitendag also pointed out that the department failed to call three additional witnesses who could have supported their case, particularly given a witness’s admission about not seeing the entire incident. The commissioner ruled that Damba be reinstated. However, he added: “But this is not the end of the matter and does not totally absolve the applicant. The respondent must be afforded an opportunity to convene a fresh disciplinary hearing if it so wish.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Bidvest under fire from Solidarity for ‘no whites’ bursary programme Daily Investor reports that Bidvest has come under fire for its school bursary programme, which is only open to the children of Black, Indian, and Coloured employees and excludes white children. The Bidvest flyer for the programme, titled “2026 – School Bursary Applications”, states that “You must be African, Coloured or Indian” to apply. The programme is open to school-going children from Grade 4 to Grade 12, for the benefit of employees. Full-time employees can apply for the program if they earn less than R15,300 per month before deductions. Trade union Solidarity chief executive, Dirk Hermann, described the bursary as racist as it excluded all white children. “What Bidvest is doing for black children is noble, but what the company is doing to white children is racist. We plan to send them a follow-up legal letter next week. Depending on Bidvest’s response, we are considering various actions, which may include litigation and a complaint to the JSE,” he indicated. Hermann also wrote an open letter to Bidvest chief executive, Mpumi Madisa, arguing that it was ‘wrong in every aspect’. Julian Gwillim of Aprio Strategic Communications responded to Hermann on behalf of Bidvest. He explained that the Bidvest Education Trust, previously known as the Dinatla Trust, was behind the bursary. Dinatla is a broad-based black economic empowerment consortium that owns 35% of the Bidvest Group. Gwillim said that in in line with the B-BBEE Act 53 of 2003, the Trust was formed for the sole purpose of uplifting historically disadvantaged individuals who were employees of the Bidvest Group. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Daily Investor. Lees ook, Bidvest-beurs nie vir wittes, by Maroela Media. En ook, Bidvest verdedig omstrede ‘rassistiese’ beursprogram, by Maroela Media
Higher Education minister Nkabane’s controversial panel for Seta chairs continues to unravel Sunday World reports that the net is closing in on higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane as more members of the Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) board chairpersons' recommendation panel deny involvement in the selection of ANC-aligned individuals. Nkabane's chief of staff Nelisiwe Semane, the higher education deputy director-general of corporate services Rhulani Ngwenya and chief director of Seta coordination Mabuza Ngubane, have written to the chair of Parliament's portfolio committee on higher education and training, Tebogo Letsie, further explaining that they were not paid for their service to the panel. In a letter dated June 25, Ngwenya sets out that he was formally appointed to provide secretarial support to the panel. "I was not involved in the approval of the 21 nominees who were ultimately appointed as chairpersons of Seta accounting authorities," said Ngwenya. Semane admitted her involvement, but added that she did not participate in short-listing board chairpersons. Ngubane confirmed that Nkabane sent him a letter of appointment to the panel, but added that what he was required to do was in the line of his regular duty. Beyond this, he said, he never attended any meeting that discussed the selection of board chairpersons. The portfolio committee is questioning if the panel was independent and has requested that Nkabane appear before it to further explain herself. The Seta board appointment were later reversed. Read this report by Queenin Masuabi in full on page 12 of Sunday World of 6 July 2025 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour Minister hails arrests in R1.5m UIF fraud bust The Citizen reports that Department of Employment & Labour (DEL) Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has welcomed the arrest of a labour department manager and several others in a major Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) fraud takedown across the Free State and Gauteng. The authorities uncovered a syndicate using fake companies and stolen identities to defraud the fund. Police in the Free State launched a takedown operation on Thursday in Bloemfontein, Bethlehem and Gauteng, following a Crime Intelligence probe into fraud and corruption at the DEL. Free State police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said the starting point was at the Labour House in the Bloemfontein CBD, where one person of interest was arrested. Makhele said this came following months of painstaking research into a complex fraud involving false claims for funds from the UIF. According to estimates, the department may have lost more than R1.5 million. The Minister condemned the actions, saying the department was appalled by the betrayal of public trust by individuals who sought to enrich themselves through criminal conduct. “Such acts not only undermine our systems but also rob deserving South Africans of support during times of need,” Meth noted. She confirmed that the department was fully cooperating with the police and other law enforcement agencies. Meth said officials will launch internal investigations and disciplinary action against implicated employees. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chulumanco Mahamba at The Citizen
Justice for sale as offenders pay up to avoid trials and criminal records Sunday Times reports that hundreds of thousands of people charged with crimes are paying their way out of criminal records in deals brokered by prosecutors in court hallways. An overview by Africa Criminal Justice Reform (ACJR) shows that out-of-court settlements in criminal cases have become commonplace in an attempt to clear court backlogs and save the state the cost of a trial. Some 150,000 were settled in a year. But the “perverse incentive” of money opens the door for the rich to buy their way out of a trial and a criminal conviction. Some legal experts warn that the mediation of criminal cases by prosecutors and lawyers undermines justice and can lead to “manipulation and coercion”. While mediation in civil litigation is legislated, mediation in criminal cases is not. It involves the prosecutor in “minor” cases such as assault, malicious damage to property and petty theft overseeing a settlement in which the accused agrees to certain terms to have the case withdrawn. Prof Lukas Muntingh of ACJR says there is no basis in law for alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (ADMRs) that “allow prosecutors to assume powers not provided to them by the constitution” and the fact that it happened behind closed doors or in court hallways without judicial oversight “completely undermines justice.” Wits University law professor Peter Jordi said there was space in the ADMR system for manipulation and coercion. He said it was not functioning properly and favoured offenders, whose cause was helped by court delays and dockets going missing. Mediation in criminal cases is among the issues in a review of the criminal justice system being conducted by the SA Law Reform Commission. The commission proposes providing for the legislative regulation of conditional withdrawals of prosecution. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Gill Gifford at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)
D-day for Judge President Selby Mbenenge on Monday as he testifies in sexual harassment probe Daily Maverick reports that Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge will finally testify on Monday at the mammoth Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating allegations against him of sexual harassment. The complaint was lodged with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) by court secretary Andiswa Mengo in January 2023. Mbenenge took special leave as a result of the controversy, but was not, as customary, suspended. It is the first major case of sexual harassment to reach the formal complaints process of the JSC. Mbenenge is the second-most senior judge president in the country and the sixth-most senior judge in judicial leadership. If found guilty, he might be just the third judge to face judicial impeachment in SA. Last week, several witnesses testified in favour of Mbenenge, including court secretaries and a Unicode expert on the technical architecture of emojis. The central complaint relates to power relations in the workplace. Mbenenge has not denied sending crude, suggestive and explicit WhatsApp messages to Mengo and has insisted their contact was consensual. The tribunal has heard that Mbenenge would not take “no” for an answer. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marianne Thamm at Daily Maverick. Read too, Mengo said ‘no’ but Mbanenge kept on asking, tribunal hears, at Daily Maverick. And also, Judge Mbenenge’s former secretary says he ‘was at the bank during alleged flashing incident’, at Mail & Guardian
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page