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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Higher Education Minister Manamela places three Setas under administration BL Premium reports that Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET) Minister Buti Manamela has appointed administrators to three sector education and training authorities (Setas). Many SA’s 21 Setas are mired in allegations of corruption and mismanagement, and the sector as a whole is failing to reduce unemployment or alleviate the need to import artisan skills. On Tuesday, the DHET announced that the Minister had appointed administrators to the Services Seta, the Local Government Seta (LGSeta), and the Construction Seta (Ceta) in terms of the Skills Development Act. “This intervention follows serious and entrenched governance failures in these entities, including procurement irregularities, lapses in oversight and board instability, which threatened their ability to deliver on their mandate to advance skills development,” the DHET indicated. All three Setas received a qualified audit from the auditor-general in 2023/24, the latest year for which audit findings have been published. The Minister has appointed the administrators for 12 months and charged them with restoring the governance and financial integrity of the Setas, in line with the Public Finance Management Act. The administrators will be expected to submit monthly reports to DHET director-general Nkosinathi Sishi. Among their tasks are to review the terms and conditions of the employment of the Seta CEOs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Setas not resolving skills shortages, just consuming tax money The Citizen reports that although SA has one of the worst employment rates in the world, it also has a skills shortage that remains a critical barrier to economic growth. Research by the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) has found that while Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) were established to solve this problem, instead they consume tax money at a rate of R20 billion per year but reach only 0.6% of the workforce. Around half of all manufacturing businesses cite skilled labour as a significant business constraint. The Setas were intended to increase skills levels in the economy by solving market failures in skills training, such as underinvestment in skills development, by compelling firms to contribute to the collective cost of training through a mandatory levy. The BER researchers have identified systemic underperformance as the root cause of the Seta failures, saying that while the system operated at a significant scale, its performance was undermined by deep-rooted inefficiencies and a “leaky pipeline” where a substantial number of students exited programmes without certification. Between 2011/12 and 2023/24, the system registered 2.6 million individuals across various programmes, with 2 million completions. However, more than 630,000 registrations did not lead to a successful certification. The researchers propose that the best option to resolve the skills problem is by shifting from the current Seta system to a revenue-neutral skills tax incentive, funded from the skills development levy and paired with other employment creation incentives such as the Youth Employment Service (YES) and the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI). Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen
Principal stabbed during clash between pupils of Hoërskool Roodepoort and West Ridge High School TimesLIVE reports that the principal of Hoërskool Roodepoort was stabbed on Monday while trying to defuse tensions between pupils from his school and West Ridge High School. Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, reported as follows on the violent clashes: “Preliminary reports state that this violence follows an earlier altercation between learners from the two schools on Friday, which went viral on social media. On Monday the situation escalated when a group of West Ridge learners, allegedly seeking revenge, went to Hoërskool Roodepoort, where they attacked learners and pelted cars with stones. Three learners from Hoërskool Roodepoort sustained serious injuries and are receiving the necessary medical care.” Chiloane said six grade 12 male learners from West Ridge High School were identified. They were served letters on Tuesday suspending them from school for seven days, pending their appearance before a disciplinary committee. Further suspensions may be effected as the verification of evidence continues. To enhance security, the Department of Basic Education has engaged Roodepoort police to support both schools and requested them to conduct unannounced search-and-seizure operations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE Third Stellenbosch municipal official shot in four months IOL News reports that the Stellenbosch Municipality expressed shock after one of its employees was shot at his home on Monday. This was the third official to be shot in four months. The man, who was off duty at the time, was shot while at his home in Kayamandi. In a short statement, the municipality confirmed the shooting incident and indicated that the employee was currently receiving treatment in hospital. Western Cape police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk confirmed the incident. “Circumstances surrounding a shooting incident at about 3.15pm in front of a premises in Sitona Street, Kayamandi, where an adult male was shot and injured are under investigation. Stellenbosch police registered an attempted murder case for investigation. The injured victim was transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment in a private vehicle,” Van Wyk said. The motive for the attack has yet to be determined and no suspects have been arrested. In June, former deputy mayor and councillor Nyaniso Jindela was shot and killed in Vineyard Street. In May, Democratic Alliance councillor Xolile Kalipa was also killed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Pay deal between Numsa and motor sector bosses expected ‘soon’ BL Premium reports that a wage deal between the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and employers in the motor sector is expected to be signed at the weekend. According to Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, the union was “still engaging with employers with a view of resolving the wage talks soon”. Jeffrey Molefe of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation said on Tuesday that the Motor Industry Bargaining Council] (Mibco) has scheduled finalisation of the draft settlement meeting for Friday. “We expect to conclude the wage talks on Saturday,” he indicated. Reggie Sibiya of the Fuel Retailers Association (FRA) said he did not have any updates for the public “except that negotiations are still taking place. I can’t disclose anything more than that at this stage.” The FRA and the RMI are employer parties to the bargaining council. In May, the employers tabled multiterm inflation-based increases for hundreds of thousands of workers falling under the bargaining council, which covers more than 300,000 workers, of whom about 90,000 are Numsa members. The motor sector comprises employees in component manufacturing companies, fuel stations, car dealerships, tyre shops, aftermarket sales, glass-fitment centres, car cleaning, car parts assembly and panel-beating workshops. The three-year wage agreement signed in November 2022 ends on 31 August. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Northern Cape iron ore mine faces closure, with hundreds of job cuts on the cards News24 reports that iron ore group Assmang has issued retrenchment notices that could see nearly 700 workers lose their jobs after its Beeshoek mine failed to secure a new supply deal with ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa). In the retrenchment notice, which was issued to trade unions last week, Assmang said the 688 potential job cuts were expected to take effect by 30 November this year. Assmang is jointly owned by African Rainbow Minerals and Assore and is located near Postmasburg in the Northern Cape, Beeshoek’s ore reserves of around 2.2 million tonnes per annum had been expected to be depleted by 2030. However, earlier closure may now be inevitable as Beeshoek is dependent on Amsa as its only customer and the steelmaker has declined to conclude a new long-term supply deal with the mine. Amsa is under severe financial strain and is preparing to close its loss-making Newcastle steel mill if the government does not present a sustainable solution for the business soon. Beeshoek has now proposed to discuss the mine’s potential closure with unions. Trade union Solidarity said it would demand decisive intervention on retrenchments and expected thorough consultation on practical alternative options for employees, including employment opportunities at other mines in the area. Adéle Rossouw, Solidarity’s organiser for the mining sector, said the worst possible option was now being considered as the mine’s closure would be a disaster for the Beeshoek mining community, as well as the wider community around Postmasburg. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Read too, Solidarity calls for decisive intervention amid possible Beeshoek mine closure, at Mining Weekly Bench Marks study shows that South African mines neglect housing The Citizen reports that according to recent research conducted by the Bench Marks Foundation, mining companies operating in SA have failed to provide housing for their employees and local communities as required by law. David van Wyk, a researcher for the foundation, said: “The foundation’s latest research, published in our Policy Gap 14, points out that it is unacceptable that South African mines are surrounded by [informal settlements] due to the failure of SA mines to provide proper, dignified housing for their employees. There needs to be global uniformity in working and living conditions.” He went on to comment: “For example, we have been calling on a mining firm operating in Marikana, where more than 40 people were killed by security forces, to improve the housing conditions of the people in the area, but to no avail.” The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) welcomed the study. Sabelo Mnguni, Macua national coordinator, commented: “The failure of mining companies to provide proper, dignified housing for workers is a direct result of weak enforcement of social and labour plans under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, combined with corporate cost-cutting that prioritises profits over people.” Mnguni said Macua’s own research showed that up to 70% of mines have failed to meet legally binding social and labour plans commitments on housing and living conditions. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Masoka Dube at The Citizen Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Salary increase litigation by magistrates stalls after last-minute court papers from Presidency TimesLIVE Premium reports that an urgent court case by the Association of Regional Magistrates of SA (Armsa) over magistrates' salary increases was removed from the roll on Tuesday after last-minute court papers from the Presidency made the litigation unnecessary. Armsa had approached the court asking it to order the President to act on the recommendations of a “major review” by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers on magistrates’ salaries, allowances and benefits. In its court papers, Armsa said the president’s failure to act for nearly nine months “undermines judicial independence and the rule of law”. But at the hearing, Armsa told the court it was removing the case from the roll because it had emerged in court papers filed by the President a day earlier that he had referred the commission’s recommendations back to it. In his affidavit, Ramaphosa said the major review was different to the annual determination of office bearers' remuneration. “It encompasses the entire system of remuneration of all public office bearers and is the result of years of research and consultation. Its recommendations will have far-reaching and long-term impacts on the fiscus, and the structure of remuneration in the state,” Ramaphosa pointed out. He indicated that it was impossible to deal with the recommendations piecemeal, adding that “I could not, even if there were no concerns affecting magistrates (and there are), make a determination for them to the exclusion of all other office-bearers.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Franny Rabkin at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only) KwaZulu-Natal department of education investigates former teachers still being paid The Citizen reports that the KwaZulu-Natal education department is concerned that employees who have died, retired or resigned are still receiving salaries. In a statement on Tuesday, the department said it was embarking on a process to verify all its employees to ensure that only the right people were being remunerated. “This process has been necessitated by instances where delays in the administrative termination of employees, due to retirement, resignations or death, have resulted in continued salary payments long after the individuals have exited the department,” the department’s spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi indicated. He said on identifying these discrepancies, the department had engaged the provincial treasury to assist with the necessary IT infrastructure to facilitate this large-scale verification exercise and to ensure the quality and integrity of the process. “The initiative, initially launched by the KZN department of education, has since been adopted as a national programme by the national department of basic education. It will be implemented across the country under the leadership of the Education Labour Relations Council, commencing with KwaZulu-Natal,” Mahlambi reported. The department is expected to announce details of the verification process soon. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Itumeleng Mafisa at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour inspectors to regain powers to enforce payment of pension fund contributions IOL News reports that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Nomakhosazana Meth says she will restore the powers of labour inspectors to enforce compliance by employers in paying over pension fund contributions within seven days of deduction from employees' salaries. She was responding to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Omphile Maotwe, who noted that approximately 7,770 employers, including a large number of municipalities and companies in the security and cleaning sectors, had failed to pay over pension fund contributions deducted from employees’ salaries as of December 2023. She noted that the non-payment resulted in a pension debt of R5.2 billion, affecting over 31,000 workers and severely undermining the implementation of the two-pot retirement system. In her reply, Meth said she was aware of the serious issue regarding failure by companies to pay pension fund contributions deducted from employees’ salaries. Meth explained that despite the provisions of Section 34A of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), labour inspectors were currently unable to enforce this section due to a 2003 Ministerial Determination issued under Section 50(1)(a) of the BCEA. Meth said the determination was introduced to prevent regulatory overlap with the Pension Fund Adjudicator (PFA). “My department is in the process of withdrawing the determination to restore labour inspectors’ powers, a proposal that has received the support of all Nedlac Labour Law Reform Task Team constituencies,” Meth advised. She also said the DEL had introduced amendments to the BCEA aimed at clarifying the enforcement of unpaid contributions and eliminating jurisdictional duplication with the PFA, the CCMA and the Labour Court. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at IOL News
GEPF has not increased the retirement age for government employees to 67 News24 reports that a claim that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has increased the retirement age for public sector workers to 67 from 1 August 2025 is false. On its website and social media channels, the GEPF stated: “The retirement age of government employees who are part of the GEPF has not changed. The normal retirement age is a condition of service specified by your employer. Where such is not specified by an employer, the GEPF makes provision for a normal retirement age of 60.” The false claim follows the same pattern as a hoax in May when a fake news website alleged that a universal retirement age of 65 was being introduced. In response to that earlier rumour, National Treasury confirmed SA had no standard retirement age set by the government. In both public and private sectors, retirement age is determined by employment contracts or the rules of the relevant pension fund. Treasury confirmed that the GEPF’s own rules still allowed public servants to retire from 60. The law supports this. In the public service, the Public Service Act of 1994 sets the normal retirement age at 60, with early retirement permitted from 55. In the private sector, the Labour Relations Act states that an age-based dismissal is only fair if the “normal or agreed” retirement age has been reached. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Andrew Thompson at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Gauteng teacher accused of raping pupil at gunpoint is dismissed after skipping ELRC hearing The Citizen reports that the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) has ruled that a Gauteng teacher must be dismissed after he allegedly raped a Grade 11 pupil at his home, while threatening her with a firearm. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDoE) brought the teacher before the ELRC, but he failed to attend his arbitration proceedings. He faced three charges of misconduct, namely raping a pupil on 13 February 2025, pointing a firearm at her during the incident, and sending her sexually explicit WhatsApp messages. After the case had been referred for inquiry, the teacher ignored both the pre-hearing on 18 June and the scheduled hearing on 24 July at the department’s Johannesburg West District office. It later emerged that he was not interested in attending the inquiry because his focus was on his criminal rape case arising from the same incident. The hearing went ahead in his absence. The GDoE described the teacher’s actions as deliberate and predatory. Comparing him to a predator, the department argued he was like a “hunting lion” who knew how to “scale, plan and prey on his victims”. The ELRC arbitrator upheld all charges and ordered the teacher’s dismissal, stating it was necessary to send a strong message to the other employees. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa at The Citizen
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