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.
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With 250,000 job losses looming, Solidarity appeals to President Ramaphosa to personally intervene Maroela Media reports that Solidarity has made an urgent appeal to President Ramaphosa to personally intervene in SA’s looming job loss crisis. In a letter sent to the President on Thursday, the trade union warned that almost 250,000 jobs in the country were at stake due to a wave of section 189 retrenchment notices issued by large employers. The latest retrenchments affect companies such as Glencore, ArcelorMittal, Ford SA, Assmang and Goodyear SA. It was noted that all of these companies were core to the rest of the manufacturing value chain in SA and could lead to further retrenchments elsewhere. “This is a bloodbath of job losses that will worsen South Africa’s already critically low unemployment rate,” warned Willie Venter, deputy general secretary of Solidarity. The letter to Ramaphosa pointed out that the mass retrenchments were not only the result of global economic pressures, but that systematic government failures were making SA industries increasingly uncompetitive. These included Eskom’s sharp tariff increases, Transnet’s rail and freight infrastructure that has come to a near standstill, the government’s sluggishness in finalizing favourable export tariff agreements, such as AGOA, on time; and a general lack of policy and support for infrastructure. Solidarity asked that the President immediately hold a crisis meeting with all role players — industries, unions and relevant government departments — to devise plans to prevent further layoffs. It furthermore asked the President to immediately implement a favourable electricity tariff for energy-intensive industries, such as smelters, without delay, which action the cabinet has already approved. Read the full original of the Afrikaans report in the above regard by Jana Smit at Maroela Media. Read too, Offset the cost of doing business and let’s brainstorm how to stem job cuts, says Solidarity, at TimesLIVE. En ook, Kwartmiljoen poste in gevaar vereis Ramaphosa se dringende ingryping, sê Solidariteit, by Netwerk24 (toegang slegs vir intekenare) Cosatu warns of strike action amid 8.7% electricity price hike SABC News reports that the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called on government to immediately intervene to bring down the ever increasing electricity prices. This, as consumers face an electricity price hike of 8.7%, in the next financial year. Through a court process, the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) conceded to a R54 billion settlement error, which will consequentially allow Eskom to claw back the revenue shortfall from consumers through further tariff increases. The move will see consumers paying an additional tariff hike of up to 8.7% in 2026-27, and 8.8% in the following financial year. Cosatu said that as part of its efforts to shield struggling consumers, it might call for strike action soon. According to the labour federation, consumers were already battling to stay afloat financially and government had to intervene. “First is short-term relief to give some sort of relief to these affected companies. It can be in the form of reduced tariffs, tax relief, relief from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), and so forth. For the longer term, we need to actually address the fundamental causes of Eskom’s dependency upon these double-digit above inflation hikes,” said Cosatu parliamentary coordinator, Matthew Parks. Members of Parliament’s Electricity and Energy portfolio committee said they would raise the matter at the committee’s meeting, this coming week. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zalene Merrington at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Bleak prospects for domestic workers Business Times reports that the number of domestic workers has plunged almost 400,000 over the past five years as their employers cut back on spending or moved home – either within SA or abroad. About 19% of domestic workers have lost their jobs in the past financial year alone, according to the eighth annual “Report on Domestic Worker Pay and Working Conditions” compiled by SweepSouth, an online platform that connects home owners with services such as cleaning, gardening and elderly care. The percentage of domestic workers who lost their jobs in financial 2025 because their employer could no longer afford to pay them dropped to 16%, compared with 25% in 2024 and 25% in 2023. According to the report, there was a slight increase in the percentage of those who lost their work because their employer moved home, but this was still relatively stable from the previous year. Employers who moved home primarily moved overseas (48%) while a significant portion moved to a different city within SA (34%). SweepSouth CEO Lourandi Kriel said prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were 1.2-million employed domestic workers; but that figure dropped to 850,000 in financial 2025, and sat at just over 839,000 in the second quarter of the current year. This was a year-on-year change of 0.5%, according to StatsSA. Kriel commented: “So the decline in domestic workers is due to a multitude of factors. The economy hasn’t grown, and because of the tough economic conditions, some families can’t afford [domestic help], and also some of them are probably emigrating.” She said the platform showed that any attempt to raise pay for domestics led to a decline in hiring. This meant either the number of days a week was cut or a full-day engagement become a half-day job. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thabiso Mochiko at Business Times (subscriber access only)
Numsa joins calls for formal recognition, regulation of SA’s creative sector EWN reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has joined calls for the formal recognition and regulation of the country's creative sector. In a joint statement with the South African Guild of Actors, the union raised concerns about the continued financial struggles faced by many artists, citing a lack of labour protections and industry standards. The two organisations said transformation was urgently needed to end the exploitation and marginalisation of creatives. They called for fair contracts, job security, and proper working conditions across the sector. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said artists deserved the same rights as all workers and should not be treated as disposable. She indicated: "Since 1994, the labour movement has fought for rights across sectors from mining to domestic work, but creatives remain excluded. Actors, writers, directors, and crew have no recognition under the law, and this must change … We call on all creative workers to unite, mobilise, and to fight for their rights. The industry must be transformed, not in name, but in substance." Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ntokozo Khumalo at EWN
Fallen police officers remembered on Sunday News24 reports that the 27 SA Police Service (SAPS) officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in the past year were honoured during National Police Commemoration Day, which is hosted on the first Sunday of September each year. Deputy President Paul Mashatile led the event at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Sunday. Just 26 years of age and with barely a year on the force, a young police officer was among 27 members killed in the line of duty. Constable Boikokobetso Retlotlisitswe Sonopo was shot killed while on patrol in Mount Fletcher in the Eastern Cape on 28 June 2024. Lieutenant Colonel Pieter Pretorius, 59, was the oldest of the slain officers, killed in his car on 16 January 2025just a year before he was due to retire. Of the 27 officers killed, 26 were men, while one was a woman. The Eastern Cape recorded the most deaths, with five officers killed, followed by Gauteng, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, all recording four deaths. The Northern Cape and North West did not record any killings of officers. The officers were killed in the following manner: 19 were shot and killed; seven died in vehicle collisions; and one was hit by a blunt object. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Lees ook, Hulde aan helde in blou wat aan diens dood is, by Maroela Media Five Gauteng traffic wardens wounded in shooting on Sunday – suspects still on the run News24 reports that five Gauteng traffic wardens were injured when a suspect fired shots while trying to evade a search in Daveyton on the East Rand on Sunday morning. The traffic wardens, based in Daveyton Policing precinct, were conducting patrols around the Daveyton railway station. According to Daveyton SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Constable Ntando Ngomane, the wardens had spotted a group of about 12 men at about 02:00. They stopped the men, requesting to search them. However, during the search, one of the men started firing at the traffic wardens with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol. By the time back-up arrived at the scene, the men, including the shooter, had fled. The injured wardens were rushed to the clinic for medical attention. A case of attempted murder has been registered at Daveyton SAPS for investigation. The Gauteng Department of Community Safety condemned the attack and shooting incident. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Insolvency sector gripped by fear after attorney Bouwer van Niekerk gunned down BL Premium reports that slain insolvency attorney Bouwer van Niekerk fielded death threats as he and his team worked on the business rescue of NTC Global Trade Fund, a firm suspected of being party to Ponzi scheme activities. NTC has played hardball with the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) by denying them management control of the firm in the Joburg High Court last month. The brazen slaying of Van Niekerk in his office on Friday seems to have worked in getting his colleagues to step away from following NTC’s money, allegedly siphoned from an unsuspecting public. High-profile insolvency expert Kurt Robert Knoop quit as NTC BRP just hours after Van Niekerk was gunned down. His resignation letter indicates that he and Van Niekerk had received death threats related to their NTC work. “After this morning’s shooting of my attorney, and in the interests of the safety of all parties concerned, I have elected to immediately give effect to my initial intention to resign as the business rescue practitioner of NTC,” the letter dated 5 September reads. The murder of Van Niekerk and the hasty exit of Knoop have exposed a chilling vulnerability in SA’s business rescue framework, turning what should be a court-mandated probe into a suspected Ponzi scheme into a hollow threat and leaving creditors and investors exposed and public funds lost. Reflecting on Van Niekerk’s slaying, the SA Restructuring and Insolvency Practitioners Association (Saripa) said the murder had left the industry shocked. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Minister veroordeel sluipmoord op prokureur, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Solidarity asks court to order Ntshavheni to retract ‘misinformation’ claim and apologise SowetanLive reports that Solidarity has filed a defamation case against Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni over her statement earlier this year that the cabinet was concerned about misinformation being spread by the trade union and AfriForum in the US on farm murders and alleged white genocide in SA. In March, Ntshavheni told a media briefing that law enforcement agencies were investigating violations of laws after Solidarity visited the US following an executive order by President Donald Trump who alleged Afrikaners in SA were subject to “unjust racial discrimination”. On Sunday, Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said neither Ntshavheni nor the government had provided any evidence of the alleged misinformation. In his founding affidavit filed in the Pretoria High Court, Hermann indicated that Solidarity wanted the court to declare that they have been “unlawfully defamed by the minister, as well as an order directing the minister to retract her statement and issue an apology”. The affidavit goes on to state: “The minister’s defamatory statement was motivated by a desire to discredit Solidarity and to apportion blame to Solidarity for SA's poor bilateral relations with the [US].” The union also wants her to pay damages. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jeanette Chabalala at BusinessLive. Lees ook, Solidariteit dagvaar minister vir laster, by Maroela Media
Firefighters forced to retreat as gunfire erupts in week-long zama zama conflict at Plastic City News24 reports that firefighters were forced to retreat on Friday night when gunmen opened fire during a blaze in the Brakpan informal settlement known as Plastic City. The incident marked the latest escalation of week-long zama zama violence which left 68 families displaced and in which two people were shot dead the preceding Saturday. Sixty-two shacks were burnt down on Tuesday, and two people were hospitalised on Wednesday. The week-long cycle of violence began as a territorial dispute over a nearby dumpsite and spiralled into a deadly conflict, with police investigations revealing the involvement of zama zamas (illegal miners). Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services spokesperson Maswati Mdluli indicated that law enforcement officials and police have been overwhelmed. Brakpan police spokesperson, Constable Audrey Buthelezi, said in a statement that according to distraught community members, Basotho nationals emerged from the Weltevreden dumping site and started shooting randomly, and they also torched some shacks. Police have opened cases of murder, attempted murder and arson. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thato Gololo at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Safety cover-up claims rock Sibanye-Stillwater bus contractor Sunday Independent reports that a workplace injury at the Bapotrans Bus depot at a Sibanye-Stillwater Mine in the North West has uncovered a web of contradictions and questionable handling of incidents, raising urgent concerns about safety protocols and accountability at Unitrans Passenger. On 1 July 2025, workshop assistant Theo Tiro seriously injured his left ring finger while removing the stabiliser bar from a bus at the Karee workshop. What seemed like a simple accident report has since exposed troubling differences in the official statements given by Theo, workshop manager Reeds Mkumbira, and diesel mechanic Johan Delport. According to Tiro, he was working alone on the stabilizer bar when it suddenly fell, injuring his finger. He reported the injury immediately and received first aid from Mkumbira before being taken to a local doctor. The injury required surgery and several weeks off work. In his statement, Delport alleged that Mkumbira instructed both men to state that they worked together at the time. But, when the injury occurred, Delport was assisting another bus and thus not present. Mkumbira was taken through a disciplinary process and subsequently fired from the company for the role he played in the matter. This incident is said to shine a harsh light on safety culture within Unitrans Passenger operations. Testimonies suggest a workplace environment vulnerable to pressures that might encourage less-than-transparent reporting and potential endangerment of workers. This was not the first incident (details in article). Last month, DMRE investigators were apparently dispatched to look into the Tiro incident. According to sources, Tiro wanted to spill the beans, but was denied that opportunity. The sources claimed that the investigators were working with the officials at Bapotrans to doctor reports. Sibanye Stillwater’s James Wellsted said they were not aware of any incident report doctoring, but they took such allegations seriously. Read the full original of the extensive report in the above regard by Karabo Ngoepe at Sunday Independent Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Stellenbosch council institutes independent investigation into human resources manager following viral video News24 reports that the Stellenbosch municipal council has asked its human resources manager to provide a written response explaining why he should not be suspended. This followed the circulation of a viral video of him suggesting that life for white employees should be made “difficult” until they resigned. An urgent council meeting was convened on Friday to consider two motions for Alexander Kannemeyer’s dismissal – one from the DA and the other from the GOOD party. However, the DA amended its motion to ask for Kannemeyer to be suspended instead, pending an investigation. The motion included action to appoint an independent investigator within seven days to probe what the party believed was misconduct on Kannemeyer’s part. In the end, the DA’s amended motion was supported by the majority of the councillors and was passed, with 27 votes in favour and nine against. The GOOD party’s motion was rejected, with 35 councillors against it and only nine in support of it. Mayor Jeremy Fasser indicated: “The conclusion of today’s (Friday’s) council meeting is that we have now formally instituted an investigation. We will obviously now await the outcome of that investigation and then obviously, as a council, we will take it from there.” Fasser added that they were appalled by the video Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Lees ook, Solidariteit verwelkom Stellenbosch-raad se optrede ná rasvideo, by Maroela Media
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