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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New taxi union establish to secure drivers’ labour rights BusinessDay reports that in a first for the multibillion-rand taxi industry, the SA Taxi Drivers Workers Union (Satdwu) was formally registered with the Registrar of Labour on Monday. This means minibus taxi drivers who join Satdwu will be represented by the union when it comes to matters such as wage negotiations and other conditions of employment, such as the right to embark on strikes. The move also means the union will be able to rally behind the full implementation of benefits such as the national minimum wage, the Unemployment Fund and Compensation Fund. There are an estimated 400,000 workers in the taxi industry, which transports about 16.5-million passengers a day. Satdwu founder and general secretary Eric Munyai said the plan was to be the biggest union in the sector and bring about unity and peace through regulation of the sector. “Now that we have received our certificate from the labour registrar, the plan moving forward is to embark on a membership recruitment drive and open offices in all nine provinces and at every municipality in the country,” Munyai said. The union is affiliated with labour federation Cosatu, a key ally of the ANC. Cosatu’s Zanele Sabela pointed out that taxi drivers toiled under a lot of stress to meet “impossible daily revenue targets employers set for them”, and they also had to contend with industry violence, among other issues. “It is these issues and more that Satdwu will have to take up to ensure taxi drivers’ conditions of work are improved,” Sabela noted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessDay
Grieving families ‘spitting snakes’ at labour department’s ‘excuses’ over George building collapse investigation Daily Maverick reports that families and relatives of those injured or who perished in May 2024 when a five-storey development in George collapsed are ‘spitting snakes’ at claims that SA Police Service (SAPS) investigators had been ‘obstructive’. Spokesperson for the George Building Collapse Victims’ Support Group, Muriel Hau-Yoon, lashed out at claims this week by Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) officials had been “bullied” by high-ranking police officers investigating the disaster. Hau-Yoon, who spoke on behalf of 62 people affected by the disaster, said “the SAPS investigating team went out of their way to assist traumatised survivors and families in identifying severely mutilated bodies” and added that those affected were “spitting snakes”. Sibiya made the claims at a Thursday sitting of a joint parliamentary committee on Human Settlements and Public Works and Infrastructure. Hau-Yoon went on to say that the SAPS team had “walked the extra mile and assisted victims with affidavits for their Labour claims when ham-handed Labour officials were sending victims from pillar to post”. Hau-Yoon claimed that the DEL’s “excuses” were because they had been unable to complete their investigation in 18 months. Sibiya also informed the committee that 53 of the workers on site were “illegal”. Hau-Yoon responded that, if so, “why did they not inform them from the get-go that they didn’t have a snowball’s chance of compensation? Instead, they’ve created false hope for the past 18 months.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marianne Thamm at Daily Maverick. Read too, George building collapse: Cops bullied inspectors, interfered in probe, labour department claims, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
‘Tackle SA about race,’ says Solidarity with G20 campaign Maroela Media reports that on Thursday, trade union Solidarity handed over a memorandum to the embassies of each of the G20 member countries to the effect that SA must be held accountable for its “breach of international conventions on racial discrimination” at the upcoming G20 summit in November. It was also sent to the European Union’s delegation in SA and to the African Union’s office in Southern Africa. By way of the memo, each of the countries concerned was implored to honour their own commitment to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by holding SA, as a co-signatory, accountable for its alleged non-observance of this convention. Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity chief executive, indicated: “As host of the G20 Summit, South Africa is in the global spotlight. We do not believe that G20 member states can be comfortable with South Africa violating UN conventions signed by the other member states through its government policies.” He went on to argue: “This is precisely what South Africa is doing by way of its more than 140 racial laws. The government is using and intensifying policies that discriminate on the basis of race, rather than class, without there being any indication of an end date of such policies, or that such legislation is redressing anything.” Hermann said the G20 Summit was also an opportunity at which economic cooperation, and the obstacles in its way, could be discussed in depth. In this regard, SA’s race programmes were said by Solidarity to constitute a so-called non-tariff barrier for international companies seeking to do business in the country. Read the full original of the Afrikaans report in the above regard by Janice du Plessis at Maroela Media. Solidarity’s memorandum can be read here
Employers are hunting for South Africans with these skills Daily Investor reports that even in SA’s strained job market, some sectors and roles remain in high demand as employers hunt for skilled workers. This trend was revealed in the Pnet Job Market Trends Report for October 2025, which provides insights into recruitment and employment trends in the SA labour market, . Pnet’s latest findings revealed that hiring activity in September 2025 increased by 7% year-on-year and by 6% month-on-month. The Pnet’s report highlighted five specific “trending” jobs which are showing increased demand for workers and professionals. These were: Nursing and professional caregiving; Graphic, print, and packaging design; Accounts payable and receivable; Financial and project accounting; and Building Project Management. The report also looked into sector-specific hiring activity trends. The first trending sector, according to Pnet’s report, was Design, Media, and Arts, which remained at the top of the job sector list. After a slight decrease in advertised jobs in August, vacancies increased by 5% in September. Year-on-year, growth in this sector remained strong, with a 38% increase in vacancy advertising. Business and Management jobs have also been stable and have shown a slow increase over the last six months. Month-on-month, hiring activity has increased by 1%. Based on these trends, Pnet said that stable and increasing recruitment activity indicated confidence in the local economy and business growth. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kirsten Minnaar at Daily Investor
Gayton McKenzie defunds 2026 National Arts Festival, jeopardising 3,000 jobs Daily Maverick reports that the National Arts Festival’s application for funding to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture for the 2026 event has been refused, Minister Gayton McKenzie indicated in a written answer to questions raised in Parliament. But, CEO Monica Newton responded after the festival’s longstanding funding request was turned down: “The National Arts Festival will take place from 26 June to 6 July 2026, supported by our longstanding partners, the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and Standard Bank – and many other partners who have supported the festival for decades.” She further indicated that the festival continued to engage with the national department on funding for the 2026 festival. Newton pointed out that the National Arts Festival was working in collaboration with several other festivals across the country which were concerned about the current policy and funding environment. McKenzie explained the department wanted to support new provincial flagship projects. He said that an organisation could be supported for only one project per financial year and that national flagship events, such as the National Arts Festival, had not been defunded since they had had the opportunity to apply, like any other festival. DA caucus leader in Makhanda, Luvuyo Sizani, said they were deeply disappointed by the decision against funding the National Arts Festival. He said the event had, for decades, been the economic heartbeat of the town. The department’s rejection of the National Arts Festival’s funding application for 2026 is said to put about 3,000 jobs at risk. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Estelle Ellis at Daily Maverick
‘Stop employing illegal foreigners or face possible jail time’, Ramaphosa warns The Citizen reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent a stern warning to South African employers who hire illegal immigrants, saying they could face jail time. Speaking during a question-and-answer session in Parliament on Thursday, Ramaphosa pointed out that the Immigration Act prohibited anyone from employing illegal foreigners who were not documented. He warned that provisions in the Act deemed such employment as an offence punishable through prison, a fine or both. “I want to state it very clearly that employers who continue to employ people who are not documented are committing an offence. And we are going to make sure that those employers stop what they are doing,” the President stated. Ramaphosa was responding to IFP MP Nhlanhla Hadebe’s question about interventions to curb SA’s illegal immigration crisis and to secure the borders. Hadebe said South Africans were unhappy about employers hiring illegal immigrants because they were cheap labour. The President acknowledged that illegal immigration placed “a great deal of strain” on SA’s social services and undermined national security. However, he cautioned against acts of vigilantism, as they did not solve the problem and undermined the rule of law. Ramaphosa also reported that more than 51,000 illegal immigrants were deported in the past financial year. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lesego Seokwang at The Citizen
Free State clinic has been short-staffed and overcrowded for 10 years GroundUp reports that at the dilapidated, prefab Intabazwe clinic, near Harrismith, some patients are turned away daily even if they started to queue as early as 6am. The main clinic – Lesedi – has been shut ever since it was damaged in protests in 2015 and then left to vandals to be stripped. Intabazwe now serves over many thousands of households. A staff member reported that at least ten people were turned away daily and explained why: “We are short staffed … We have two nurses, three staff nurses and two clerks to deal with a volume of over 200 people [daily].” The Intabazwe prefab clinic stands on private land leased by the department from landowner Phakane Matabola. The original clinic building is used for files and storage. According to community members, Matabola locks the gates when he has not been paid by the department. The department said the rental agreement was confidential, but confirmed that there had been a “service interruption” in December 2024. The community has pleaded with the provincial health department since 2015 to build another clinic. Mondli Mvambi, provincial health spokesperson, said rebuilding the clinic had been delayed by budgetary constraints. “The department acknowledges that staff shortages are not unique to this facility or to the Free Stat but are part of a national challenge,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tladi Moloi at GroundUp
eThekwini Metro Police rack up R20m a month in overtime pay amid staffing shortages and unbudgeted duties The Mercury reports that staff shortages, long hours, and additional duties not budgeted for are forcing the eThekwini Metro Police unit to spend up to R20 million each month on overtime pay. Since the beginning of the financial year in July, the unit has spent close to R80m, averaging between R19m and R20m each month. The revelation has stunned opposition party councillors. The Head of Metro Police, Sbonelo Mchunu, detailed the challenges faced by the unit. He stated that staff shortages, additional mandates, and the unpredictable nature of policing work were contributing to the spiralling cost of overtime. He went on to explain: “The unit is assigned many duties that contribute to the overtime pay. We are tasked with protecting senior officials and councillors, which is not part of our mandate, and not budgeted for, contributing to the need for overtime.” Mchunu added: “The work of police is unpredictable; for instance, if we are doing hawker enforcement, there is a lot of paperwork and processes that lead to working long hours and incurring overtime. If we are conducting enforcement, we incur overtime because the officer cannot abandon their duties while they are in progress as they are trying to avoid incurring overtime.” He said there were other issues, including inadequate recruitment. DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa was of the view that in recent year there has been a very concerning disconnect between overtime claimed by the Metro Police compared to the actual crime fighting and bylaw enforcement in the municipality. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thami Magubane at The Mercury
Pension Funds Adjudicator asked to step in over security company’s non-payment of contributions amounting to R15m News24 reports that for the first time since the introduction of the two-pot retirement savings system a year ago, which exposed companies’, government departments’, and municipalities’ failure to pay employees’ pension fund contributions to administrators and third parties, the Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA) is finally intervening. It has been asked to adjudicate on a matter between Mafoko Security Patrols – one of the largest, 100% black-owned security companies in SA – and the Private Security Sector Provident Fund (PSSPF). According to Mafoko director Lebo Nare, the company has calculated that, with interest, it owes R15 million to the PSSPF. He has attributed the situation the company finds itself in to the following: the government’s late payments to security companies that guard state property; no regulated pricing on tenders, which often short-changed the service providers; and state-owned entities, such as SAA and Post Office, experiencing financial issues and abandoning debt. Nare said Mafoko had invoices to the extent of about R40 million which the government had left unpaid for more than 120 days. He also claimed: “We have settled the matters, but what happens is that PSSPF doesn’t update the list of settled payments.” Nare alleged that the industry was suffering under the weight of widely reported maladministration and management at the PSSPF. He reported that a request had been made through the PSSPF so that the matter could be adjudicated by the PFA. The items expected to be discussed with the PFA include a compromise on the late payments, and repaying the actual debt. The PFA had not responded at the time of writing, but, according to Nare, the adjudication hearing is expected to be held soon. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Soyiso Maliti at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Company ordered to repay R4.7m in PPE profits from unlawful and invalid Mpumalanga contract The Citizen reports that the Special Tribunal has ordered a company to repay profits derived from an unconstitutional Mpumalanga personal protective equipment (PPE) contract after an investigation exposed irregularities in mask procurement. According to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), it secured the court order to recover profits in respect of a R4.73 million PPE contract. The Mpumalanga Department of Health was found to have unlawfully awarded the contract to Tepa Trading and Projects in April 2020 for the supply and delivery of 220,000 three-ply masks. The contract was declared unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid and was set aside. The SIU’s investigation had revealed that the department did not follow a fair and transparent procurement process. It also found the process had not been not equal, competitive, or cost-effective. The Tribunal concluded that there were numerous irregularities in the procurement process and an official who lacked the required financial authority had illegally approved the contract. The Tribunal also ordered Tepa Trading to pay the SIU’s legal costs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chulumanco Mahamba at The Citizen
Former Mashatile bodyguards to face music for alleged N1 assault after court dismisses discharge application Daily Maverick reports that on Thursday, the Randburg Magistrate’s Court dismissed a Section 174 discharge application brought by eight former bodyguards of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, thereby keeping the high-profile assault case on track for trial. The accused had hoped to walk away from charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property, but Magistrate Abdul Khan ruled that there was enough evidence to proceed. A video of the incident, which was widely shared on social media, showed the eight VIP Protection Unit members allegedly assaulting two off-duty soldiers on the N1 Highway in Joburg in July 2023. Magistrate Khan cleared all eight accused of defeating the ends of justice charges, but said the court was satisfied that all the accused had acted in common purpose in the assault. Two of the accused will continue to face charges of negligent driving. Four of the accused will continue to face charges concerning violation of the Firearms Controls Act for allegedly pointing a firearm. The trial date has been set for 23 to 27 March 2026. In May, the eight accused were exonerated in an internal SA Police Service disciplinary hearing because the video evidence against them could not be verified and was ruled to be inadmissible. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bheki C. Simelane at Daily Maverick. Read too, Mashatile’s former bodyguards not off the hook yet, at SowetanLive. . En ook, Ernstigste klagte teen ‘blouligmafia’ gaan voort, by Maroela Media EMPD’s Julius Mkhwanazi accused of making 55 irregular promotions in three months SowetanLive reports that Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi allegedly promoted 55 candidates to senior positions within three months, with some of the positions not having been advertised. This was revealed by suspended EMPD chief Jabulani Mapiyeye at the Madlanga commission on Thursday. Mapiyeye was suspended over sexual harassment allegations in August last year. The appointments were made between May and July 2024 and included directors, inspectors and superintendents. Mapiyeye said the appointments happened while he was still at work, but his involvement was not considered. “I complained about this and was told that I cannot expect to sit in all positions and do the interviews. I only wanted to take part so that these irregularities would not [happen], but he [Mkhwanazi] proceeded with [the] blessings of the city manager [Imogen Mashazi],” he indicated. Mapiyeye claimed that Mkhwanazi had disregarded his authority over the years with Mashazi’s support. An internal investigation found that Mkhwanazi had to be charged with abuse of power and six charges of gross dishonesty, all linked to his relationship with CAT VIP Protection. According to the charge sheet, in 2021 Mkhwanazi wrote a memorandum using the council’s letterheads, giving authority for Matlala’s company to use blue-light vehicles from the council. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Herman Moloi at SowetanLive. Read too, Promotion of police official linked to Matlala blue-light scandal sparks outrage, at BusinessDay (subscriber access only)
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