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 Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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SA Reserve Bank warns US tariffs could trim GDP, hit 40,000 jobs BusinessDay reports that the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) has warned in its October monetary policy review that the US tariffs imposed on SA exports could shave 0.4 percentage points off GDP growth next year and cost as many as 40,000 jobs. Other studies estimate that up to 22,000 jobs could be lost. The measures, which effectively ended SA’s preferential access under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (Agoa), expose the vulnerabilities of SA’s industrial base. The US introduced “reciprocal” tariffs on 7 August, imposing duties on nearly two-thirds of SA’s exports to its third-largest trading partner. Most manufactured and agricultural products now face tariffs of about 30%, with vehicle and parts exports hit by a 25% duty and aluminium and copper products facing the steepest levy of 50%. The shock could ripple through multiple value chains, from cars and engineering to sugar and citrus. Platinum group metals (PGMs), manganese and coal were excluded. The motor industry faces the sharpest blow. SA exported R35bn in vehicles and parts to the US in 2024 but now faces a 25% duty, while competitors from the EU, Japan and Korea may benefit from lower applied tariffs if deals are finalised. Agriculture and agroprocessing are also fully exposed, with citrus, sugar and wine now subject to 30% tariffs. According to a Reuters report, citrus and sugar farming together support about 300,000 jobs – many of them in areas with few alternative employment opportunities. The SARB indicated that “the loss of jobs and incomes could decimate some rural communities through localised general equilibrium effects”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jana Marx at BusinessDay (subscriber access only)
New security measures implemented to protect Gauteng judges TimesLIVE reports that new security measures to protect judges were implemented at courts across Gauteng on Thursday. The directive, issued by deputy judge president Roland Sutherland, follows a violent incident at the Esikhawini Magistrate’s Court KwaZulu-Natal, where a man went on a rampage with a hammer and a sharp object inside a courtroom. The man, who launched the attack just minutes after being convicted, had been in custody, and authorities are investigating how he managed to obtain the weapons. Sutherland ordered that the new security measures be “strictly enforced” at all courts in the province. “This directive undoubtedly causes delay and inconvenience. It is imposed to cater for genuine needs to preserve appropriate security thresholds for the judges and patience is requested from everyone,” he said. Among the measures are that no person, including counsel, attorneys, messengers, witnesses, shall for any reason enter the area of the building in which the chambers of judges are situated unless escorted by the secretary of the judge. Judges Matter, a civil society project dedicated to monitoring the SA judiciary, said it was deeply distressing to learn of yet another security breach at a court, which threatened the lives of a magistrate and court officials. It indicated that a review of court security was “now extremely urgent”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nivashni Nair at TimesLIVE. Read too, Murder accused trashes KZN courtroom with hammer and sharp object, at TimesLIVE
Calls for Lesufi’s removal after Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens disbanded Daily Maverick reports that DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga announced on Thursday that the party would be tabling a motion of no confidence against Premier Lesufi “for his reckless and irresponsible implementation of the failed amaPanyaza project.” Gauteng’s Crime Prevention Wardens (CPWs) are commonly known as “amaPanyaza”. Msimanga said: “The time for lies, deception and exploiting the plight of thousands of desperate job seekers in Gauteng must come to an end. This is the end of the road for Premier Lesufi.” Since the establishment of the CPWs in early 2023, there has been criticism that they were unlawful. In a report released this week, Public Protector (PP) Kholeka Gcaleka concluded that the CPWs were not lawfully established. Hours before the PP’s report was released, Lesufi announced that the CPWs would be disbanded. On Wednesday, Lesufi defended the CPWs, saying they “played a critical role in visible policing in the Johannesburg CBD, major events and township areas”. He indicated the 8,800 CPWs would be disbanded over 36 months and integrated into the Gauteng Traffic Police, as recommended by the PP. Those who did not qualify would be reassigned to municipalities or government departments. The provincial government has not indicated how much amaPanyaza had cost to date, but the DA’s Msimanga said the cost had run into the billions. “We are estimating that the cost of this exercise is way above R1.5-billion and still growing. But we are not looking at this only from what would’ve been paid in salaries/stipends, uniforms, vehicles, ‘training’ etc., but we are also looking at the lawsuits against the amaPanyazas which are still pending,” Msimanga said. ActionSA, meanwhile, said the disbandment of the crime wardens was an admission that the effort had failed to curb crime. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bheki C. Simelane at Daily Maverick. Lees ook, AmaPanyaza-blaps: Mosie van wantroue wag op Lesufi, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eight months later, search Joburg city manager hits another dead end News24 reports that a three-hour council meeting on Thursday came to nought after the ruling coalition in the City of Johannesburg could not decide on whether to rehire Floyd Brink as the city manager. The sitting was called to discuss the recommendation that Brink, the former city manager, be rehired after scoring above other candidates during the lengthy interview process. During his tenure as city manager, Brink was removed from the position twice. He was first appointed to the position on 22 February 2023, when then-speaker Colleen Makhubele urgently brought his appointment to the council at the last minute. The DA challenged the manner of Brink’s appointment in court and on 7 November 2023, Acting Judge Steven Budlender found in the party’s favour. The City appealed the decision, but on 4 December 2024, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg upheld Budlender’s ruling that Brink’s appointment was unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid. Brink left office on 14 December. The City has been without a permanent city manager since then. Thursday was also the second time the item was withdrawn from council. The first time was on 30 September, when the decision to hire Brink was withdrawn because parties within the leading coalition, comprising the ANC, EFF, PA, and other minority parties, could not come to an understanding. The issue was the same on Thursday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Patrick at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Turmoil after Cape Town rubbish removal contractor fails to pay workers GroundUp reports that dozens of Khayelitsha waste workers protested on Thursday because they have not been paid by Manandi Services, which is one of the City of Cape Town’s contractors. They barricaded Baden Powell Drive, Macassar Road and Japtha Masemola Road with stones and burning tyres in the early hours of the morning, then marched to the Khayelitsha Training Centre to meet their employer and City officials. The protesters arrived at the Training Centre and demanded to be let into the premises, but they were not allowed through the gates. They then returned to Baden Powell Drive to continue their blockade. The workers were employed since the beginning of September to collect rubbish in various wards of Khayelitsha, but say they have either been paid short or not at all. Contractors in other parts of the Cape Flats have also failed to comply with their contracts, causing rubbish to pile up in parts of Mitchells Plain, Strandfontein, Capricorn, Khayelitsha, Helderberg and Philippi. Some workers have had to take out short-term loans because of the non-payment, which they are unable to pay back. In a statement, the City said it was “taking urgent steps to stabilise refuse removal services … following contractual non-compliance.” The City indicated that it was in the process of terminating contracts and appointing new contractors. All the current employees of the non-compliant contractors will be absorbed by the new contractors, and the City says it is “working to ensure” that they are all paid for work done. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Vincent Lali at GroundUp
Transport department employee charged with fraud over ‘bogus matric certificate’ used to get job that paid over R2m TimesLIVE reports that an Eastern Cape government employee, who earned more than R2m after allegedly landing her job in the transport department by using a bogus matric certificate, is facing charges of fraud, forgery and uttering. Philela Angela Tafeni was arrested by the Hawks serious corruption investigation team in East London on Tuesday. She appeared in the Qonce Magistrate’s Court on the day of her arrest, where she was released on R3,000 bail. Tafeni applied to the provincial transport department’s scholar transport division in July 2015 for a job as a data capturer on a one-year contract. In June 2016, she was permanently absorbed into the department. In January 2025, information was received alleging that Tafeni had secured employment using a fraudulent matric certificate. The subsequent investigation unearthed evidence of a fake qualification being submitted to secure the job. On Tuesday, the case was postponed to 31 October for it to be transferred to the regional court. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE. Read too, Transport department employee arrested for fraud and forgery over fake matric certificate, at The Citizen
GEPF two-pot withdrawals back online as fund completes update of systems with new actuarial factors IOL Business reports that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has officially resumed the processing of two-pot withdrawal applications on its self-service platforms, including the GEPF App. This comes after the Fund temporarily suspended these applications from 7 to 21 October 2025 to update its systems with new actuarial factors aimed at improving the accuracy of benefit calculations. During this period, members were unable to submit new savings withdrawal requests through the self-service platforms but were assured that all other benefits and services would continue as normal. In a brief statement on Wednesday, the fund announced that two-pot withdrawal applications on its self-service platforms had resumed. This comes as the fund continues to deal with mounting backlash from some of its members after it implemented updated actuarial interest factors, effective from 1 October 2025, which will reduce pre-retirement exit benefits by an average of 15%. In a statement last week, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said: "We find it deeply troubling that such material changes appear to have been implemented without any consultation, prior notice, or adequate explanation to the affected members." The union added: "The GEPF has attributed these reductions to actuarial projections, yet Popcru finds this reasoning problematic.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mthobisi Nozulela at IOL Business
Tshwane licensing officer fired after slapping woman during driver’s licence renewal argument IOL News reports that a slap across the face by a Tshwane chief licensing officer, meted out to a member of the public who was trying to assist her sister in renewing her driver’s licence at the Centurion licence office, has cost the officer his job. The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) unsuccessfully tried before the Johannesburg Labour Court (LC) to have the dismissal of licence officer Silulami Mvinjelwa, a shop steward, overturned. It all started when the officer refused to accept a certified copy of a woman’s ID document. An altercation ensued between him and the woman, only identified in the LC judgment as Ms Basson. This, according to Basson’s evidence, led to the slap, which Mvinjelwa denied. Basson testified that Mvinjelwa refused to assist them. After leaving the cubicle, Basson testified that Mvinjelwa walked around his cubicle and confronted her in full view of the public. He slapped her on the right side of the face, she said, and a plainclothes policeman came to her rescue and took them to the boardroom to try and calm down. Mvinjelwa’s evidence was that he did not assault anyone on that day. Following a disciplinary hearing on charges of misconduct, Mvinjelwa was fired. The matter was then referred to the SA Local Bargaining Council, where an arbitrator found his dismissal to be both substantially and procedurally fair. Samwu then turned to the LC on Mvinjelwa’s behalf and argued that the process had been unfair. But Acting Judge L Vukeya concluded that Mvinjelwa’s dismissal was fair as his version of events was improbable and not sustained by evidence. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zelda Venter at IOL News
Contempt of court charges loom for eThekwini municipality and city manager for failure to reinstate investigator IOL News reports that the eThekwini municipality and its city manager, Musa Mbhele, have been directed to appear before the Durban Labour Court (LC) in November to explain why they should not be charged for contempt of court for failing to reinstate a senior investigator after the court issued such an order in August. The senior investigator had been working at the eThekwini City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU). He was dismissed in December 2024 following a disciplinary hearing. The dismissal stemmed from misconduct allegations related to the contract with a forensic company – Integrity Forensic Solutions (IFS) – that investigated former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede. IFS was appointed by CIIU to investigate DSW tender irregularities, which resulted in the arrest of Gumede and 21 others. The controversy that resulted in disciplinary hearings for the senior investigator began after a whistle-blower’s report in May 2023 alleged irregularities in IFS’s appointment. Earlier this year, the LC found that the municipality had unlawfully dismissed the investigator and ordered that he be reinstated to his position on 18 August 2025, which did not happen. The LC said if the respondents did not provide a satisfactory explanation to the court for not complying with the order or failed to appear in court on the specified date, the court would seek an order declaring them in contempt. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomonde Zondi at IOL News. Read too, eThekwini officials face jail time for defying court ruling on investigator’s dismissal, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Durban metro cop and motorist both arrested in ‘bribery incident’ TimesLIVE reports that a Durban Metro Police officer and a motorist were both arrested after a “bribery incident” on Wednesday. “The officer was caught accepting a bribe and the motorist was arrested for offering it. Both givers and receivers will face prosecution. The Durban Metro Police Service condemns corruption in the strongest terms. We are committed to integrity, accountability and public trust,” said Durban Metro Police spokesperson Col Boysie Zungu. He explained that attempting to bribe or bribing a police officer was a criminal offence. Both suspects are expected to appear in court soon. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Nivashni Nair at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category OUTA demands arrests in R2 billion Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal, at The Star
Eastern Cape deputy principal accused of human trafficking seeking bail on health grounds SABC News reports that the bail application of a 52-year-old East London deputy principal accused of human trafficking and forcing young girls into prostitution has been adjourned to Friday for closing arguments. Vuyokazi Gana is accused of luring young girls aged between 16 and 23 from Mthatha by promising them a better future and job opportunities in East London. In a written affidavit, Gana indicated that she intended to plead not guilty to the charges against her. She also informed the court that her chronic medical conditions, which included depression, diabetes and hypertension, would worsen if she were to be kept behind bars. The state is opposing bail due to the seriousness of the charges against Gana. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News. Read too, Eastern Cape deputy principal seeks bail on health grounds after trafficking arrest, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Get off your feminist, Western, culturally superior, subjective high horse, Mbenenge’s lawyer tells tribunal Daily Maverick reports that lawyers for Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge, who is accused of sexually harassing court secretary Andiswa Mengo, have suggested the complaint was designed to “end his career”. Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane, presenting his closing arguments at the marathon Judicial Conduct Tribunal, also suggested that Mengo’s allegations were “fabrications” being viewed through a “feminist, Western” framework that did not apply in this instance. Sikhakhane asserted: “People with western notions of this conversation [in explicit WhatsApps between Mbenenge and Mengo] enter through a notion of being superior” and did not understand Xhosa culture. Responding to these assertions, evidence leader advocate Salome Scheepers, as well as advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender for Mengo, pointed out that the complainant had not been asked what her “cultural” understanding of the situation might have been. “This should have been put to her, but was not. There is no merit to this argument,” said Rajab-Budlender. Scheepers rejected the argument of Mbenenge’s team that she and Rajab-Budlender had “infantilised” Mengo by suggesting that the power imbalance between a judge president and a court secretary was the issue, and Mengo had possessed the agency to stop it. In closing, tribunal chairperson retired Judge Bernard Ngoepe indicated that the tribunal would be deciding the matter “in accordance with the law and the facts of this case and not in accordance with the court of public opinion, one way or the other. We are totally unmoved by the court of public opinion.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marianne Thamm at Daily Maverick
Fatalities and safety-related incidents down in Rail Safety Regulator’s report Engineering News reports that in its Annual State of Safety Report for 2024/25, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) recorded .9,200 safety-related occurrences, namely a 7.2% decrease from the previous year, while fatalities fell to 81, which was the lowest in five years. However, the report showed that injuries increased to 336, which was the highest in five years. There was also a 10.9% rise in operational safety incidents, which exceeded the five-year average and were primarily driven by infrastructure deterioration and signalling failures. The top five operational incidents were collisions, derailments, fires, pantograph hook-ups, and incidents involving persons struck by trains. Most derailments occurred at low speeds in yards sidings and port terminals. Fires were linked to veld conditions and electrical faults and a number of collisions involved stray animals or vehicles on tracks. A sharp increase in pantograph hook-ups revealed heightened vulnerability of electrical infrastructure, often tied to theft and asset degradation. Security-related incidents dominated the safety landscape, and accounted for 70% of all reported occurrences. While asset theft declined by 17%, personal safety concerns, crowd-related disruptions and vandalism remained persistent threats. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Read too, Railway Safety Regulator unveils alarming safety report for 2024/25, at Weekend Argus Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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