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 Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Department of Trade, Industry and Competition says 30,000 jobs at risk from Trump tariff Daily Maverick reports that the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) indicated on Monday that US President Donald Trump’s tariff on SA could put about 30,000 jobs at risk. “We’ve based this on the ongoing consultations that we have with all the sectors of the economy – from automotive, agriculture and all the other sectors that are going to be impacted – and at this stage we are sitting at approximately 30,000 jobs that could be affected by this,” DTIC director-general Simphiwe Hamilton said. Hamilton, along with DTIC Minister Parks Tau, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) Minister Ronald Lamola and Dirco director-general Zane Dangor briefed the media on SA’s response to the US tariff in Joburg. The tariff is expected to come into effect at 12.01am on 8 August. On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Pretoria was preparing a package to support companies that were vulnerable to the US tariff, which included the formation of an Export Support Desk to support SA exporters, as set up by the DTIC last week. On Monday, Tau said his department would be sharing “a set of more detailed proposals” on SA’s tariff response package with the Cabinet on Wednesday that “would elaborate on the structure of the support package”. In a statement issued on Monday, the DA blamed Tau and Lamola for the tariff outcome, accusing them of “negligence and ineptitude” in failing to secure a trade deal. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Victoria O’Regan & Yeshiel Panchia at Daily Maverick. Lees ook, Ramaphosa betreur “baie straf” Amerikaanse tariewe, by Maroela Media Third of SA steel and engineering firms expect direct hit from US tariff News24 reports that a 30% reciprocal tariff on SA goods into the US is expected to have a “significant and multidimensional” impact on the SA metals and engineering sector. This is according to a snapshot survey conducted by the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa). Of the 126 member companies that responded to Seifsa’s survey, over 33% said they would be directly affected by the tariff, with adverse impacts expected on revenue and jobs. “Many companies anticipate a dramatic drop in sales, with some stating that the US accounts for up to 20% of their turnover. The expected revenue declines are estimated at 10% to 20%,” Seifsa indicated. Several respondents indicated that, should the tariff persist, they would be forced to reduce their workforce or even close operations. Additionally, some companies have had to reconsider or halt planned investments. Manufacturers also expressed concerns about production uncertainty, especially where their product offerings were specifically tailored to the US market demand. Almost 24% of the survey respondents anticipated they would be indirectly affected. Suppliers to exporters are anticipating reduced orders, while increased global steel prices and constrained access to key materials are expected to raise input costs. Respondents also flagged broader macroeconomic concerns, including rising inflation, decreased gross domestic product, and worsening unemployment. Nearly 16% of respondents said they were exploring alternative markets, although most survey respondents noted that these are limited and already under pressure. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at News24 Business (subscription / trial registration required) Trump's 30% tariff a crisis in the making for SA’s car industry, Naamsa warns TimesLIVE reports that according to motor industry body Naamsa, the 30% tariff imposed on SA exports to the US is a socioeconomic crisis in the making for SA’s automotive sector. SA failed to reach a trade deal with the US by the 1 August deadline, resulting in President Donald Trump imposing the tariff from the first week of August. It is expected to potentially cause job losses in SA’s automotive and agriculture industries. “The imposition of these tariffs is deeply disappointing and has far-reaching implications. Without an urgent trade remedy, the socioeconomic fallout could be severe,” said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa. He lamented that US tariffs would potentially disrupt thousands of jobs, eroding hard-won industrial capabilities and destabilising automotive export-reliant communities such as East London. SA vehicle exports to the US dropped more than 80% – from 16,112 to 2,875 units – in the first half of the year compared with 2024 after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on vehicles imported into the US in April. Most of those were C-Class cars built at Mercedes-Benz SA’s (MBSA) East London factory. MBSA recently suspended production in East London for several weeks due to reduced demand for its cars after announcing plans in June 2024 to shed 700 jobs. The move led to speculation that MBSA might disinvest from SA, but the company denied this, saying no decision had been made for the brand to exit the country. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denis Droppa at TimesLIVE. Read too, Mercedes-Benz’s East London plant restarts after five-week stoppage, at Engineering News We’re fighting to save agriculture amid tariff threat, says John Steenhuisen BusinessLive reports that as the US confirmed 30% “reciprocal” tariffs on SA exports, the Department of Agriculture said it was doing “everything in its power to protect SA’s market access, save jobs and make trade a tool for shared prosperity – not a casualty of geopolitical realignment”. Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said they shared the agricultural sector’s deep concerns over the tariff. “These measures are deeply unjust and pose a serious threat to jobs, livelihoods and the competitiveness of one of SA’s most globally integrated sectors,” he noted. SA’s agriculture sector is heavily export-orientated, with exports worth $13.7bn in 2024. The total value of SA wine exports to the US amounts to about R660m a year, and the local wine industry supports about 270,000 workers across the value chain. Besides the direct impact, the SA Table Grape Industry (SATI) is concerned about potential secondary effects of the tariffs on global markets, “including increased supply from other countries facing high tariffs to SA’s main markets such as the EU and UK”. According to SA Wine, losing access to the US market would affect the entire supply chain — affecting packaging, logistics, and foreign currency inflows – particularly in rural areas where the wine industry is a key economic driver. The same holds true for the citrus sector. “[The impact] will be felt most acutely in rural communities in the Northern and Western Cape, the two provinces from which we export to the US,” Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) CEO Boitshoko Ntshabele pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jana Marx at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Alleging employment of outsiders, hundreds of unemployed young people march to Nigel company for jobs GroundUp reports that on Friday, about 300 community members from Kwa-Thema, Springs, Nigel, Duduza and Tsakane marched from Dunnottar to the Chinese-owned Chung Fung Metal & Steel Company factories in Nigel to demand jobs for local young people. The march was organised by the Greater Nigel United People’s Parliament (GRNUPP) and Kwatsadusa (Kwa-Thema, Tsakane and Duduza) community forums. Protesters said it had been two years since they first approached Chung Fung Metal & Steel to demand that more young people from the surrounding communities be afforded opportunities to work at its factories. The marchers accused the company of employing people from outside the community. Some people were upset over a job advertisement recently published in a local paper, claiming that the job required many years of experience, which most young people in the area did not have. In their memorandum, the protestors expressed concern over the high rate of poverty, economic inequality and youth unemployment in their community. Representatives from the company met the marchers to sign and accept the memorandum. They were given a week to respond. “The company needs to make adjustments to its job requirements to cater for unskilled youths and to provide skills training as promised. To date it has not shown any interest in providing jobs to young people,” said Sphiwe Mabanga from Tsakane. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kimberly Mutandiro at GroundUp
Police arrest 24 more illegal mining suspects in Barberton, bringing total to 518 News24 reports that police in Mpumalanga have arrested an additional 24 suspected illegal miners in Barberton, where almost 500 suspects were arrested over the weekend. Police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli said the recent arrests brought the total number of suspects to 518 since the beginning of Operation Vala Umgodi in the area. He indicated that the 24 individuals would join 494 suspects in court soon. Meanwhile, the initial group of suspects appeared in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court on Monday. They appeared in 10 groups of 50 and were charged with trespassing, illegal possession of gold-bearing material and contravening the Immigration Act. Mdhluli advised that there were no fatalities recorded during the operation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tankiso Makhetha at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Read too, ‘Don’t repeat Stilfontein mine tragedy in Mpumalanga', at SowetanLive Huge admin costs threaten Tshiamiso Trust fund for miners afflicted with TB or silicosis GroundUp reports that six years after the creation of the Tshiamiso Trust, there are mounting concerns that the hundreds of millions of rand allocated for its operations could soon be depleted, which threatens to shut down the fund long before its mandate ends. The Trust is a multi-billion-rand fund set up to compensate miners with TB or silicosis, or their families, and was created following a historic 2018 landmark silicosis settlement. Justice for Miners (JFM), a lobby group for ex-miners with TB and silicosis, has warned that if the R845-million for operational costs runs out before the end of the Trust’s lifespan in 2031, unclaimed money from the R5-billion rand settlement (which includes the operational costs) could be returned to mining companies. The admin fund covers the day-to-day running of the Trust, including salaries, medical assessments, and tracing of claimants. If the trust runs out of the admin budget, countless ex-miners, especially those in rural areas who remain untraced, could lose out on compensation. JFM’s Catherine Meyburgh is concerned that by the end of 2026, over 80% of the admin fund, capped at R845-million, is expected to have been used. This suggests that before the trust reaches its 12-year life span in 2031, it would have exhausted its operational budget and possibly cease to exist. According to Meyburgh, the mining companies concerned are using hurdles and interpreting the trust deed differently to limit payouts and to avoid having to top up the R5-billion fund. The mining industry denied interfering with the trust or blocking payments and expressed willingness to discuss the budget shortfall to ensure all eligible claimants were compensated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipokazi Fokazi at GroundUp Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Tension rises between KZN Cogta and uMkhanyakude Municipality after court ruling on salary payments The Mercury reports that tension between the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and the uMkhanyakude Municipality in northern KZN is worsening, with the municipality accusing MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi of misleading the public. This accusation stems from an order handed down by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday. The SA Municipal Workers’ Union had taken the municipality and other defendants to court after workers' salaries were not paid due to a stand-off between Cogta and the municipality over the former’s decision to appoint an administrator. The stand-off triggered a freezing of the municipality’s bank account. The administrator was also blocked from entering the municipality's offices. In the order, the court addressed the issue of salaries and ordered that the first respondent (the municipality) and the fourth respondent (administrator Bamba Ndwandwe) work together to ensure that the wages of the workers were paid and that payments were made on time. The court stated that “this shall apply mutatis mutandis for future months for as long as the first respondent (uMkhanyakude) is under provincial intervention and for as long as the fourth respondent (Ndwandwe) is in office as the provincial representative.” Cogta noted that the order had affirmed its intervention as legal. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thami Magubane at The Mercury. Read too, Administrator Bamba Ndwandwe resumes duties after court ruling in uMkhanyakude, at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eastern Cape municipal official accused of murdering councillor to be suspended without pay DailyDispatch reports that the Emalahleni municipal official arrested in connection with the murder of the local authority’s infrastructure development and human settlements head and council chief whip, Xoliseka Lali, is set to be suspended. This was confirmed by municipal spokesperson Luthando Nqumkana. Lali was shot dead at his home in Komani on 21 July. Three suspects, namely Emalahleni project management unit manager Bavuyise Mdingi and two others, were arrested in Mthatha on Monday last week. Their case was enrolled in the Komani Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday and postponed to 6 August for legal representation. On Wednesday, investigators arrested a fourth suspect in Mthatha. Nqumkana advised: “Definitely she will be suspended. The allegations levelled against her necessitate suspension. She will be suspended without pay. We will allow the court process to proceed and when it is concluded we can start with our own investigations into this matter.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard at DailyDispatch Letsoalo's appeal in bid for reinstatement at Road Accident Fund rejected by court Cape Argus reports that on Friday, the North Gauteng High Court denied suspended Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo's application for leave to appeal his failed reinstatement bid. Letsoalo had applied for leave to appeal against the judgment issued by the court at the end of June, in which it turned down his bid for his suspension to be lifted. In a scathing judgment at the time, Judge Nasious Moshoana said Letsoalo's application was vexatious. Letsoalo’s fixed-term contract expires on Wednesday, and he had sought to lift his suspension based on the assertion that he had been promised reappointed for a second term. But, the board denied this. A point taken by Judge Moshoana was that time will have run out for Letsoalo by Wednesday when he will no longer head the RAF, so the appeal will then be moot. The judge said accepting that the rights which Letsoalo was seeking to protect and enforce were contractual in nature. Once the contract expired, those rights would be unenforceable in law. The judge added that even if the appeal succeeded, the relief Letsoalo was seeking would not yield practical results to him. In addressing the 38 points in which Letsoalo claimed errors had been made, Judge Moshoana commented that all Letsoalo had done was to try and reargue the matter. Not one of these points held any water, he found. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zelda Venter at Cape Argus Other internet posting(s) in this news category
JMPD officer sentenced to six years for car crash in 2018 that claimed three lives IOL News reports that a Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) police officer has been sentenced to six years in prison for three counts of culpable homicide by the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court. The case stems from an incident in June 2018 when Raymond Nkosinathi Mzizi was driving a state vehicle along the Golden Highway and collided with a Toyota Corolla and a Siyaya minibus taxi. Lizzy Suping of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) said there were five occupants in the Toyota Corolla, namely a father, his three daughters, and a grandchild. "Two daughters and a grandchild died at the scene while the father and one daughter were transported to Baragwanath Hospital for medical treatment," said Suping. Mzizi was arrested and faced multiple charges, including culpable homicide, drunken driving, and operating a state vehicle without authorisation. The court found Mzizi guilty on three counts of culpable homicide, resulting in a six-year prison sentence. He was acquitted of drunken driving. In an additional ruling, Mzizi received a 12-month sentence for the unauthorised use of the state vehicle. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning Mzizi will serve six years in total. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinenhlanhla Masilela at IOL News. Lees ook, JMPD-beampte gevonnis oor ongeluk wat drie eis, by Maroela Media Ten SAPS and EMPD officers arrested for allegedly ransacking store in Edenvale TimesLIVE reports that ten SA Police Service (SAPS) and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officers were arrested while on duty on Monday for their alleged role in corruption and fraud. They are expected to appear in the Germiston Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. “It is alleged that on June 4 during a multidisciplinary operation by law enforcement, the accused officers raided a shop in Edenvale where they seized cigarettes and took R35,000 in cash and three packs of headache tablets to the value of about R5,000,” Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Lizzy Suping indicated. The nine constables and a sergeant arrested the cashier for trading in illicit cigarettes and another employee for violating immigration laws. The accused officers failed to record all the merchandise seized from the shop at the police station. The shop manager disputed the quantity and type of merchandise booked in the occurrence book to the station commander. Read the original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE. Read too, Ten cops arrested for allegedly ransacking store in Edenvale, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Rea Vaya drivers at Meadowlands depot bring operations to a halt on Monday SowetanLive reports that Rea Vaya drivers at the Meadowlands depot in Soweto brought operations to a standstill on Monday morning by blocking the exit point and demanding the replacement of what they said were unroadworthy buses. The drivers placed a bus at the entrance gate to block any buses from leaving, including the ones with working discs. Passengers were notified via Rea Vaya’s official social media platforms that all bus services would be suspended for the day. According to protesting drivers, they have been forced to transport commuters in buses with expired licence discs, some dating back to 2022. They claimed that repeated concerns have gone unaddressed. “We cannot continue operating with expired licence discs and buses that don’t have handbrakes or lights,” said one driver According to the drivers, whenever they got into accidents or got stopped by traffic officers they have to pay for the ticket from their own pocket and then claim from the company, which does not compensate them. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nandi Ntini at SowetanLive Golden Arrow Bus Services to raise fares by 4% on average from next Monday Cape Times reports that commuters will have to fork out more as Golden Arrow Bus Services has announced a fare increase from next Monday. While most weekly tickets have stayed under R250, most of the monthly fares have hit the R1,000 mark. Golden Arrow spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer advised: “In recent years, we have made a concerted effort to delay annual fare increases beyond the customary December period. For example, instead of implementing a fare increase in December 2023, we absorbed the rising costs until April 2024, and we again deferred the December 2024 increase.” She went on to indicate: “However, due to continued and widespread increases in operating costs across the supply chain, we are no longer able to delay further. As a result, fares will increase by an average of 4 percent, effective August 11, 2025.” Passengers have been urged to make use of the Gold Card, which enables them to access discounted fare options. For a full list of revised fares, members of the public can contact the Transport Information Centre at 0800 65 64 63. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mandilakhe Tshwete & Robin-Lee Francke at Cape Times
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