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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Magistrates demonstrate in Durban for salary increases and judicial equality in SA IOL News reports that magistrates held a lunchtime placard demonstration in Durban on Monday over poor pay and working conditions and for systematic discrimination to be addressed. Magistrate Scelo Zuma, representing the Judicial Officers’ Association of SA (Joasa), lamented that their historical concerns have been ignored. He pointed out that they have in the past tried to litigate those issues, however, that has proved to be futile and so they decided to pursue a different course of action to address their concerns. “There is an outstanding, long-standing issue relating to our salaries. Annually, there are reports which are prepared, and recommendations are then made to the President and the (Judicial Service) Commission,” Zuma noted, but added that the significant recommendations for improved magistrate salaries and benefits have never been implemented. He also highlighted a disparity with judges’ benefits. Zuma pointed out that magistrates did not have medical aid, housing allowances or vehicle allowances and lived off a salary that they have to stretch far to cover their daily needs, including their security. Another issue that the magistrates sought to have addressed was that of a single judiciary “because, seemingly, it would appear that magistrates are existing on the periphery of the judicial structure.” On the way forward, Zuma indicated: “We are planning to have similar actions rolled out throughout the country, until such time that the powers that be attend to this issue because it is a dire situation.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thobeka Ngema at IOL News. Read too, Durban magistrates picket over poor pay and working conditions, at TimesLIVE
Eastern Cape EMS worker and patient killed in ambulance crash on Monday Daily Dispatch reports that an emergency medical services (EMS) worker and a patient died after an ambulance overturned on the R392 about 25km from Komani towards Dordrecht on Monday. Eastern Cape health MEC Ntandokazi Capa expressed her condolences to the bereaved families. “We lost a committed member in the call of duty. He leaves us at a time when we need his services,” Capa lamented. She went on to indicate: “A patient who comes to our health facility does so in the hope of being healed and not to die. It's very unfortunate that we lost a patient in this manner.” Capa also wished the surviving EMS staff a speedy recovery. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at DailyDispatch Presidential protection officer kills colleague, wounds wife then turns gun on himself TimesLIVE reports that a police sergeant attached to the Presidential Protection Service (PPS) in Pretoria took his own life after allegedly killing a fellow officer and wounding his wife in domestic-related shootings. The 53-year-old sergeant from Riba Cross, Burgersfort, allegedly fatally shot a female sergeant in Pretoria on Saturday. Less than 24 hours later, he allegedly went to Bronkhorstspruit and shot and wounded his wife. Police launched a manhunt after linking the two incidents. Limpopo police tracked the suspect’s vehicle and intercepted him on the R555 near Burgersfort on Sunday morning. The officer opened fire on officers when they tried to stop him. Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba reported: “The suspect allegedly fired a shot towards police officers and, when cornered, turned the firearm on himself.” The firearm used was confirmed to be a state-issued service pistol. Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe described the incident as deeply troubling and urged police members to seek help when dealing with personal difficulties. Hadebe added that the service continued to grapple with incidents of domestic violence involving law enforcement members, a concern that has sparked renewed calls for stronger psychological support within police ranks Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mmatumelo Lebjane at TimesLIVE. Lees ook, Polisieman neem eie lewe ná hy kollega vermoor, vrou wond, by Maroela Media Total of four suspects arrested for brutal hijacking and murder of LEAP officer Cape Times reports that three more suspects have been arrested for the hijacking and murder of Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) officer Yonke Pakade, who was viciously attacked over the weekend. This brings the total number of arrests to four, with the suspects expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of murder and hijacking. The 26-year-old was off duty when he was hijacked. The attackers stabbed him multiple times, and stoned him. Safety and security mayco member JP Smith said LEAP officers responded to the scene in Sheffield Road on Sunday where the officer's vehicle was found abandoned. His colleagues found him in the Marikana Informal Settlement where he had fled trying to escape his attackers, but he succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Following the initial arrest of one male suspect, a tip-off led investigators to the Covid Informal Settlement where they arrested two suspects. Another suspect was arrested in Philippi East, where a knife believed to be the murder weapon was also recovered. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Cape Times. Lees ook, Leap-beampte in Philippi vermoor, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour Minister blames leadership instability within her department and some of its entities for adverse audit outcome EWN reports that Department of Employment & Labour (DEL) Minister Nomakhosazana Meth says the adverse audit outcome for her department is related to leadership instability both in her department itself and certain of its entities. The department’s finances have regressed as it received a qualified audit opinion for the 2024/25 financial year. But Meth told Parliament’s labour portfolio committee on Monday that her department continued to make strides in advancing an equitable, inclusive and resilient labour market despite the tough economic climate. While Meth praised the performance of Nedlac and the CCMA over the past year, the same could not be said of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund. While the UIF paid out over R18 billion in benefits over the past year, Meth noted that leadership instability continued to dog its effective operation. Three acting commissioners have stepped in since Commissioner Teboho Maruping’s suspension more than a year ago. "We are trying to finalise the disciplinary of the UIF commissioner, and we are looking at how best we can stabilise that leadership," Meth indicated. She said that in the department itself, a misunderstanding about a freeze on new hires had impacted governance and oversight. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN UIF says it has bounced back from Covid-19 payouts, and is now focusing on clearing audit issues EWN reports that according to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), it has recovered from the Covid-19 years when it paid out R65 billion to compensate those affected by the lockdowns, but the Auditor-General (AG) has still found its financials wanting. The fund’s commissioner, Teboho Maruping, has been on suspension for more than a year and earned more than R1.4 million in that time. Acting UIF Commissioner Malebo Mabitje-Thompson has been seconded from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to step in while the disciplinary process against the commissioner wraps up. On Monday, Parliament’s Employment and Labour Portfolio Committee heard that despite the growing claims, the fund remained financially sound. Mabitje-Thompson reported that over the past financial year, the Fund paid over R18 billion in claims compared to R15 billion in the previous year. "The UIF remains a going concern, but there remain areas that we ourselves would be the first to say, we need to strengthen, and we are working on strengthening," she indicated. Mabitje-Thompson added the backlog of claims had been cleared, and the Fund was now working towards improving its audit outcome from a qualified opinion. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN
In a shocking name mix-up, Godongwana reappoints the ‘wrong’ Maseko to PIC board News24 reports that Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana says he will still appoint former Public Investment Corporation (PIC) employee Mpumelo Maseko to the asset manager’s board after a case of mistaken identity led to the wrong person being appointed as a director. The Cabinet announced the new directors of the PIC on 3 September, naming Mpumelelo Maseko as one of Godongwana’s discretionary picks for the board. However, Godongwana had intended to appoint Mpumelo Maseko, the former PIC employee, and not Mpumelelo Maseko, the former Treasury official. When the mistake was discovered last week, Godongwana requested Mpumelelo to resign. On Sunday, Godongwana said he did not know how the mistake had happened but planned to rectify it by appointing Mpumelo. Meantime, Mpumelo’s appointment is controversial in investment industry circles. The bungle over the PIC board follows two other recent major errors made by the Cabinet in selecting directors for state-owned companies. In June, it appointed Sam Bhembe as a director to the board of the Industrial Development Corporation, even though he was involved in a dispute over a R70-million loan with the organisation. He was subsequently unappointed. In August, it announced the appointment of a board for the new Transport Economic Regulator (TER), which included several inappropriate choices. A second version of the Cabinet statement removed the section announcing the TER appointments without explanation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
David Hodnett takes the reins at Standard Bank following regulatory approval Moneyweb reports that David Hodnett has officially assumed the role of CEO and executive director of Standard Bank SA. This follows final approval from the SA Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority, the lender confirmed last week. His appointment took effect on 10 October 2025. The group first announced Hodnett’s appointment on 8 September 2025 as part of its broader leadership succession plan. At the time, Standard Bank said the appointment formed part of a structured transition ahead of Group CEO Sim Tshabalala’s planned retirement at the end of 2027. Hodnett, who has served as the group’s chief Risk officer and head of corporate affairs, brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry. Before joining Standard Bank in 2019, he held senior roles at Absa and Barclays. The group said the appointment reinforced the depth of its leadership pipeline and ensured continuity in its South African operations, with Tshabalala and finance chief Arno Daehnke set to step down in 2027. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Moneyweb
South African executive pay rises amid global talent race Moneyweb reports that the competition for global executive talent has resulted in a notable uptick in remuneration packages for top leadership roles in SA. Executive directors have seen significant increases in total remuneration – with chief executives receiving an 8% boost and chief financial officers (CFOs) experiencing a 19% rise. These increases were driven by higher guaranteed pay and improved incentives. CFO pay was particularly influenced by stronger short-term and long-term incentives, suggesting a shift in the pay mix towards performance-based rewards. The 18th PwC Directors Remuneration and Trends Report, based on data from the top JSE 200 companies, shows that hybrid incentive designs, blending performance share plans and restricted share plans are becoming more common as companies compete for global talent. “This shift caps a 15-year evolution from a regulatory emphasis on transparency and fairness to a clear focus on competitiveness,” the report notes. Over the past two years, a rising number of FTSE 100 companies have lifted total incentive opportunities materially, with six doing so by 100% of salary or more in 2024, and a further 16 doing so this year. “These developments provide a useful reference point for South African companies considering calibrated adjustments to executive reward positioning in line with global market dynamics and shareholder expectations,” according to the report. In SA, the median for total remuneration amounted to R21.3 million for CEOs and R12.6 million for CFOs in 2025. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Visser at Moneyweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Medical tax credits limits to be imposed, with high-income earners in the crosshairs BL Premium reports that the Department of Health (DOH) is working with the National Treasury on the imposition of thresholds for medical tax credits before the introduction of the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. This is likely to affect only high-income earners in the short term as the DOH stressed in a court affidavit last month that what was planned were “modest changes impacting high income earners only”. The DOH strongly rejected the assertion of NHI’s opponents that low- and middle-income earners would be targeted in the initial phases of the rollout of the scheme. Taxpayers benefit from medical tax credits or rebates for qualifying medical expenses including contributions to medical aid schemes. They reduce the amount of income tax payable particularly for low income earners and their eventual removal is envisaged in the NHI Act as one of the ways to fund the system. Their removal or limitation will increase the tax burden on medical scheme members and make private medical scheme membership unaffordable for many. According to DOH deputy director-general for NHI Nicholas Crisp, medical aid credits represent a loss to the fiscus of about R34bn, an amount that could be used for NHI. Crisp answered questions by MPs on the roll out of NHI during a briefing on Friday to MPs on the department’s annual report for 2024/25. In the 2025/25 budget, tabled by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in May, no inflationary adjustments were made to medical tax credits at a cost to taxpayers over three years of R3.8bn. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Government wants to rob medical aid fund members to finance the NHI plan, Solidarity warns Maroela Media reports that trade union Solidarity issued a statement on Monday rejecting the government’s intention to use tax credits from medical aid members to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI). The plan of the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Treasury to raise an additional R34 billion for the NHI in this manner has recently been reported on. According to Theuns du Buisson, economic researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), this would deprive medical aid members of money that rightfully belongs to them, precisely because they do not burden the public healthcare system. Fund members can claim such credits back from the tax authorities each year. Du Buisson pointed out that tax credit abolition plan has come after the DOH itself requested that all legal proceedings regarding the constitutionality of the NHI be suspended pending a Constitutional Court ruling in the case concerning the validity of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the NHI Act. “The government is asking for litigation against the NHI to be halted yet continues full steam ahead with its planning. You cannot scrap the medical aid tax credits before the NHI has been implemented, and you cannot implement the NHI before the court has ruled on the validity of the president’s decision to sign it,” argued Du Buisson. He added that Solidarity was already consulting with its legal team about the possibility of separate legal action, or of including the issue of the credit abolition in its ongoing case against the state’s application for delay. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Maroela Media
Limpopo cops accused of robbing Ethiopian traders in Mpumalanga ‘must be held accountable if found guilty’ SowetanLive reports that Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Jackie Macie, says the Limpopo police officers arrested in his province for allegedly robbing Ethiopian nationals of illicit cigarettes and R950,000 in cash must face the full consequences of the law if they are found guilty of any wrongdoing. “The allegations brought against [them] are damning and serious. We do not have a place in policing for criminals. We want honest and diligent members who will always remain loyal to their call by protecting communities and arresting crime suspects,” said Macie. The four police officers appeared in the Lydenburg Magistrate's Court on Monday following their arrest on Friday. Spokesperson for Mpumalanga police Brig Donald Mdhluli said the Ethiopian victims were asleep when they were allegedly attacked by a group of armed suspects on Friday night in Lydenburg. The suspects reportedly used four vehicles, including a marked SAPS VW Golf GTI confirmed to belong to the Polokwane flying squad. A private vehicle fled the scene carrying multiple boxes of suspected illicit cigarettes and cash. Mdhluli said they arrested three male SAPS members and one female member, all attached to various Limpopo SAPS units, as well as a civilian. Further investigation led to the seizure of boxes of illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of about R1.5m and R950,000 in cash. Macie called on the SAPS to thoroughly investigate the case and ensure that if there were any other people implicated, they be promptly brought to book. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Botho Molosankwe at SowetanLive
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