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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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All of the 53 foreign nationals in the George building collapse were working in SA illegally’ SowetanLive reports that according to Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya, all of the 53 foreign nationals who were working on site at the time of the deadly George building collapse in 2024 were in SA illegally and did not have valid work permits. Alongside the police, George municipality and the departments of public works and human settlements, Sibiya briefed MPs on Wednesday on findings in respect of the George building collapse that occurred on 6 May 2024. Sibiya said 77 employees were affected by the collapse of the building that was still under construction. So far, the Compensation Fund had received 68 claims, of which 28 were fatal claims, while the Federated Employer Mutual Assurance (FEM) had received five. He said out of the 68, 15 were found to be SA citizens, while 53 were foreign nationals employed by various companies linked to the site, as confirmed by Home Affairs. “We also got to know from them that only one had a work permit, meaning all the other 52 didn’t have work permits. But even that work permit had expired, meaning even that work permit was as simple as non-existent. It was not valid. So the entire 53 foreign nationals were illegal ones, as per home affairs books,” Sibiya indicated. He also reported that 19 claims remain unregistered due to missing documentation such as death certificates, medical reports or identity documents. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Koena Mashale at SowetanLive George Municipality faces backlash from MPs over refusal to reveal building collapse findings The Citizen reports that the George Municipality faced sharp criticism from members of parliament during a joint portfolio committee meeting on Wednesday for refusing to disclose findings about the deadly building collapse in May 2024. The four-storey building under construction in George collapsed on 6 May 2024, trapping 62 workers under rubble and leading to 34 deaths. George Mayor Jackie von Brandis and Municipal Manager Godfrey Louw defended their decision not to release the structural engineering report. “The investigating officer who was handling the case on behalf of South African Police Service (Saps), his instruction to us was do not reveal the reports to anybody,” Louw told the committee. However, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, who led the Saps delegation, contradicted this. “I don’t recall that we gave [that instruction], but what we discouraged was the publication to the media of the findings while it is still under investigation,” he indicated. Committee members expressed frustration with what they perceived as the municipality’s lack of cooperation. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Albert Seabi, demanded full transparency regarding the council’s resolutions and the approval process for the building plans. Saps reported that their investigation was nearing completion, with Patekile stating they anticipated concluding their report by the end of December 2025. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Enkosi Selane at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Minister Manamela admits to NSFAS challenges after board chair Stander’s shock resignation Daily Maverick reports that Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Minister Buti Manamela has admitted that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) faces challenges. This after its board chairperson, Dr Karen Stander, with less than one year in her new job as chairperson of the NSFAS board, resigned with immediate effect over the weekend after citing a ‘toxic’ work environment marked by racism, bullying, intimidation and personal threats at the entity. According to reports, Stander stated that she could no longer effectively and conscientiously perform her duties due to the deteriorating conditions within the board. After meeting with both Stander and the NSFAS board, including acting chief executive officer Waseem Carrim, Manamela admitted that Stander told him that NSFAS faced challenges that needed to be addressed. “The chair has resigned. She has given me reasons why she’s resigned and some of those, if further substantiated, may necessitate an investigation … We’ll definitely do so,” said Manamela. Stander was appointed in February 2025 by Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, the then DHET minister, after the previous board was dissolved by Minister Blade Nzimande and the entity was placed under administration. Aside from the shocking resignation of Stander, NSFAS has been plagued with issues of budget shortfalls despite receiving funds of R13.3-billion to support 34,000 students. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Goni at Daily Maverick. Read too, ‘Her job will be almost untenable’: Nsfas faces concerns after board chair resigns, at The Citizen
Labour department reports that workers lost R133 million in wages in 114 strikes in 2024 Cape Argus reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) recently released its annual industrial action report for 2024. The report noted that, although not higher than in 2023, workers across affected industries lost an estimated R133m in wages due to 114 strikes across the country. The DEL’s data revealed that the public sector reported more strikes than the private sector. "Through strike data analysis, the public sector recorded a significant increase in working days lost, rising from 76.9% in 2023 to 94.7% in 2024. Over half of the recorded working days lost were reported in the community, local authority, and education sectors," the report indicated. The manufacturing industry was the second largest affected sector with 17 strikes, making up 15% of the total work stoppages recorded in 2024. Disputes over wages, bonuses, and other compensation matters remained the main cause of strikes in the country, with the demand for wage increments (73.7%) larger than other causes of strikes. The report also revealed that recent data showed that workers decided to embark on strikes as half of the country’s workers earned less than R5,530 a month. The agriculture and finance industries recorded fewer strikes, which might indicate relative stability or fewer labour relations issues leading to disputes during the same period. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loyiso Sidimba at Cape Argus
Assmang brings curtain down on Beeshoek iron ore mine with 622 employees laid off Miningmx reports that African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) has announced that its investment vehicle Assmang was putting the Beeshoek iron ore mine on care and maintenance resulting in the retrenchment of 622 permanent employees from end-November. Beeshoek, which is situated in the Northern Cape, has struggled following a decline in offtake from steelmaker Arcelor Mittal SA (Amsa). Deliveries to Amsa finally ended in July. ARM owns its stake in Beeshoek through a 50% shareholding in Assmang. The balance of Assmang is owned by Assore, the privately-held resources investment firm. The closure of Beeshoek comes on the same day Amsa confirmed the closure of long steel production at its Newcastle plant. Commenting on the closure of Beeshoek, ARM said Assmang had undertaken an “extensive assessment of potential alternatives to avoid a shutdown” which did not prove to be viable. “In the absence of a sustainable offtake arrangement, Beeshoek Mine is no longer economically feasible to operate,” it added. Mining at Beeshoek stopped at the end of October 2025. “In parallel with the care-and-maintenance process, Assmang is evaluating further options for Beeshoek Mine,” said ARM. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by David McKay at Miningmx. Read too, ArcelorMittal ceases production at Newcastle, still no rescue in sight, at Moneyweb
Solidarity’s September tariff barometer shows SA exports to US increased, but only due to precious metals The Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) released its latest tariff barometer on Wednesday, which showed that SA exports to the United States (US) increased significantly overall in September. This was despite the 30% import tax the US imposed on all SA products in August this year. Yet, Theuns du Buisson, economic researcher at the SRI, explained that this increase was mainly due to precious metal exports, particularly gold, which was exempt from US tariffs. He indicated: “However, if we disregard precious metal exports, total exports have declined drastically. Exports of iron and steel products are recovering, but exports have not yet returned to previous years’ levels. Similarly, chemical and mineral exports have increased, but not sufficiently so to compensate for the decline in August.” He went on to caution that export numbers could remain very volatile, and that the coming months would provide a better indication of where exports were stabilising. Despite the challenges, Du Buisson believes there is still room for recovery and explained as follows: “Because tariffs have been imposed on most countries, it is also possible that the US market could simply absorb the tariffs and that South African exports could well return to previous levels”. Du Buisson emphasised that the latest figures showed how important it was for the SA government to negotiate favourable trade terms proactively rather than simply absorbing economic pressure. Access the SRI barometer report here
Half of provinces without police intelligence bosses due to impasse over hiring panel BusinessDay reports that police crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo told the Madlanga commission on Wednesday that half of the country’s provinces have not had police intelligence bosses for months due to an impasse among SA Police Service (SAPS) top brass on a hiring panel, His testimony at the commission on Wednesday focused on leadership dilemmas in SAPS crime intelligence, which is a crucial division to the commission’s probe into allegations of criminal infiltration and systematic weaknesses in the police. He told the commission that before Police Minister Senzo Mchunu issued a directive on 31 December 2024 for an immediate halt to the filling of key positions in crime intelligence, there had been a “stalemate” between him and Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya. Khumalo said he had disagreed with his immediate boss Sibiya about panels that would oversee the recruitment for the top posts. Khumalo and Sibiya, suggested two different panels. The posts were advertised last year but could not be filled. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola was briefed about the stalemate issue, but there was no resolution. Without approved panels, SAPS human resources did not fill the posts prior Mchunu halting the recruitment in December 2024. From then, until President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on leave of absence in July, the lock on the intelligence recruitment process remained in place. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessDay (subscriber access only). Read too, Tension between top cops left provinces without Crime Intel heads, at Cape Times
Five Eastern Cape EMS workers appear in court over fraudulent matric certificates SABC News reports that five Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers employed by the Eastern Cape Department of Health (DOH) have briefly appeared before the East London Commercial Crimes Court. They allegedly fraudulently falsified their matric certificates in order to gain employment as Basic Ambulance Assistants. This occurred in 2015 and, after a whistleblower alerted authorities, a case was opened in 2023. All the accused are from the Joe Gqabi District. DOH spokesperson Siyanda Manana reported: “Initially there were six EMS staff, however, one admitted guilt and resigned from the department and was sentenced after appearing in court. A disciplinary hearing was held and all five were found guilty, however, they appealed the sentences. The case was postponed to the 21st, 22nd and 23rd January 2026.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Abongile Jantjies at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Finance Minister appoints new Pension Funds Adjudicator Engineering News reports that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has appointed Lebogang Paul Mogashoa as the Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA) for the Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator (OPFA). The appointment is for a period of three years, effective from 8 December. He will succeed incumbent PFA Muvhango Antoinette Lukhaimane. The OPFA's primary role is to investigate and determine complaints related to pension funds in the interest of promoting accountability and fairness within the pension funds industry. Mogashoa has more than 17 years of experience in pension fund law, governance, management and administration and has held various key positions, most recently serving as the deputy principal executive officer and company secretary of the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund. Prior to this, he served as a senior corporate legal counsel at the Pension Fund Management Committee for the SA Tourism Board. Mogashoa holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Limpopo, a Master of Management degree from Wits University and a Master of Law degree in mercantile law from the University of Pretoria, among other academic achievements. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eskom successfully appeals Labour Court’s employment equity judgment Moneyweb reports that Eskom has successfully appealed a Labour Court (LC) judgment that ruled that the utility’s practice of not shortlisting members of non-designated groups for advertised posts amounted to an absolute barrier and was not an affirmative action measure as contemplated by the Employment Equity Act (EEA). A judgment handed down in the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) on Wednesday upheld Eskom’s appeal and set aside and dismissed the LC judgment handed down in May 2024. In the LC judgment, Judge Hilary Rabkin-Naicker ruled that Eskom had “unfairly discriminated” against one Altus Erasmus and also ordered that “Eskom must take remedial steps to ensure that the said practice ceases”. The judge had ordered Eskom to pay Erasmus compensation equal to 18 months of his salary at the time he applied for the post of manager for site outage execution at a peaking power station for Eskom’s group technology division. However, the LAC said the evidence established that Erasmus was not appointed because of the employment equity (EE) targets and the pipeline Eskom implemented to change the demographics at senior management level. “This was a rational way to target a particular class of persons who have been susceptible to unfair discrimination at that level. It was conceived to protect and advance them, and it promotes equality,” the LAC said. The background to this matter is fully described in the Moneyweb article. Read the full original of the comprehensive report in the above regard by Roy Cokayne at Moneyweb
Suspended Air Traffic & Navigation Services CEO steps down BusinessDay reports that Nozipho Mdawe stepped down as CEO of the state-owned Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), with effect from 31 October, to pursue other career opportunities. ATNS, the sole provider of air traffic management, navigation, training and associated services in SA, has been plagued by issues that have affected efficient operations at the country’s airports. Mdawe was placed on precautionary suspension on the orders of Transport Minister Barbara Creecy in March, pending the outcome of an investigation by an independent law firm into her duties and responsibilities as CEO. “We confirm that the investigation cleared the CEO of any wrongdoing and misconduct, and that our decision to part ways is to allow both the company and the CEO a fresh start,” said ATNS chair Zola Majavu. The precautionary suspension of Mdawe came after Creecy’s appointment of a committee of aviation experts to look into problems at ATNS, including flight delays at a number of airports because of a failure to maintain flight instrument procedures. ATNS said last week it had made “significant progress” in stabilising operations and rebuilding the agency’s core capacity. Acting CEO Matome Moholola said steps had been taken since December to address the exodus of critical skills, especially air traffic controllers, in the 2024/25 financial year. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mudiwa Gavaza at BusinessDay (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Randburg court to rule on Thursday on VIP cops’ bid to dismiss viral N1 assault case IOL News reports that the Randburg Magistrate's Court is expected to deliver its ruling on Thursday on a Section 174 application put forward by the defense for eight VIP officers, accused of assaulting three men at the side of a highway two years ago. The men put forward the application in a bid to have the matter dismissed on the grounds of insufficient evidence. The members of the SA Police Service VIP Protection Unit were recorded in a video assaulting occupants of another vehicle in Joburg and footage of the assault went viral. The officials, who later turned out to belong to Deputy President Paul Mashatile's security detail, were seen dragging a man out of his vehicle and assaulting him at the side of the busy highway. At the time, the driver and his two passengers were attached to the SA National Defence Force and were seen being kicked in the head by the heavily armed officers. Action Society spokesperson, Juanita du Preez, commented: "The attempt to discharge the case under Section 174 is nothing more than a last-ditch effort to escape accountability. The eight accused should be treated as the criminals they are. They disregarded the law, misused their authority, and brutalised civilians instead of protecting them." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Se-Anne Rall at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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