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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Financial clerk and boyfriend in court for alleged murder of school principal and admin worker News24 reports that a financial clerk at the Inxiweni Primary School, who is accused of masterminding the assassination of the school’s principal and administrative clerk, appeared together with her boyfriend in the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Hope Shongwe, 26, and Tuki Benjamin Maditsi, 35, face two counts of premeditated murder for the shooting and killing of principal Ruth Tabu and administrative clerk Nobantu Mjomboni. They were gunned down hours after Tabu uncovered that more than R50,000 had been withdrawn from school funds, allegedly by Shongwe. The two staffers were murdered inside the school’s administration block. A third suspect, believed to be the triggerman, remains at large, and police have launched a manhunt. According to school governing body chairperson Masibulele Mtshabe, Shongwe has a history of questionable behaviour and chronic absenteeism. Speaking outside the court, Mtshabe said the murders had devastated the school community. Shongwe remains an employee of the department. Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona explained that labour law compelled the department to retain Shongwe as an employee while legal processes unfold. “We are awaiting her bail application outcome. If the court releases her, we can process her. Whether we transfer Shongwe to another workspace or suspend her will be decided through our internal processes,” Mabona said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Madlanga Commission hears that Ekurhuleni city manager ailed to act on metro police rape and corruption allegations Daily Maverick reports that former Ekurhuleni city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi told the Madlanga Commission on Monday that allegations against Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officers of rape, sexual harassment and having children with female subordinates in the metro were merely hearsay. She asserted that without a formal complaint, her hands had been tied. The allegations were first raised in 2016 by victims who reported them directly to Mashazi. Yet, until her retirement in July 2025, the only step she took was to introduce an “empowerment programme” intended to help women law-enforcement officers avoid becoming “sexual slaves”. But, after commission chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga tore through her testimony and chastised her for “doing absolutely nothing” to assist the victims and instead “sitting with folded arms”, Mashazi conceded. She said: “I take your point that doing that empowerment programme was not enough.” She admitted that the allegations persisted throughout her tenure. Mashazi directly implicated suspended metro police chief Jabulani Isaac Mapiyeye. She stated: “It was also reported to me [that] chief of police Mapiyeye fathered multiple children with subordinates who were vulnerable to his abuse of power, including conduct amounting to sexual harassment, coercion and rape.” According to Mashazi, two alleged drunk-driving incidents involving Mapiyeye were quietly swept under the carpet. The Madlanga Commission is hearing evidence of alleged criminality, political interference and corruption within law enforcement Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Vincent Cruywagen at Daily Maverick. Read too, Ex-Ekurhuleni city manager claims EMPD chief fathered children with subordinates, at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Glencore-Merafe commences with retrenchment processes at two smelters Moneyweb reports that according to Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture, it started issuing formal retrenchment notices and offering voluntary severance packages on Monday, after failing to secure competitive electricity tariffs in order to continue operations. Merafe Resources owns 20.5% in the joint venture, with Glencore owning the rest. In a statement on Monday, Glencore-Merafe said it received a proposal from Eskom regarding electricity tariffs on 28 November. While the proposal is still subject to further approval processes, it will only allow for the continuation of the Lion smelter but does not provide a sustainable solution for the long-term viability of the Boshoek and Wonderkop smelters in Rustenburg. In the absence of a viable solution, the Boshoek and Wonderkop smelters will be placed on care and maintenance from 1 January 2026. Trade union Solidarity reported in September that nearly half of Glencore’s 22 furnaces had been permanently or temporarily shut. A total of 2,425 direct jobs and more than 17,000 indirect jobs are at risk if the remaining furnaces are closed. Glencore-Merafe has a special tariff from Eskom, but that is insufficient to keep its smelters operating. The JV advised that it remained committed to engaging with all stakeholders through the retrenchment and restructuring process and was looking at options to safeguard jobs and maintain operational sustainability. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ciaran Ryan at Moneyweb
Petrol and diesel prices set to increase from Wednesday IOL News reports that after a relatively stable year for fuel prices, South Africans will have to dig a little deeper in December, with petrol and diesel prices set to increase. Month-end data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) shows that 95 Unleaded petrol is likely to increase by 25 cents, while 93 Unleaded will go up by 20 cents. Diesel is set for more significant hikes, with 500ppm predicted to increase by 64 cents and 50ppm by 81 cents. From Wednesday, motorists can expect to pay around R20.54 for a litre of 95 Unleaded petrol at the coast and R21.37 in the inland areas, where 93 Unleaded will cost around R21.17. The wholesale price of 50ppm diesel will rise to around R19.23 at the coast and R19.99 inland. The final price adjustments for December have still to be announced by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. The December fuel price increases come as a result of higher international product prices. A slightly stronger rand has lent some relief to the situation, lowering the potential price increase by around three cents. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Woosey at IOL News
Senior SAfm presenter among five accused of recruiting South Africans for Russia-Ukraine war The Citizen reports that SAfm presenter Nonkululeko Mantula is among five suspects accused of recruiting South Africans to join the Russia-Ukraine conflict. She appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday alongside four co-accused. They are facing charges under the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act. Their case was postponed to 8 December for a formal bail application. The group was arrested over the weekend at OR Tambo International Airport. The authorities initially apprehended four of the men as they attempted to travel to Russia via the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following a tip-off that flagged their travel plans as suspicious. According to the Hawks, Mantula allegedly coordinated the recruitment and travel arrangements for those being sent to join Russia’s military. The court appearance comes in the wake of political controversy involving Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, who recently resigned as an MK Party MP after being linked to the recruitment scandal. Her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, opened a case at the Sandton police station, accusing her of orchestrating the recruitment of 17 South African men who were allegedly sent to Ukraine under the pretext of VIP protection training. Zuma-Sambudla has denied wrongdoing and filed her own complaint, claiming that a man identified as Blessing Khoza misled her into believing she was facilitating non-combat security training in Russia. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa at The Citizen. Read too, SAfm presenter among group facing court after airport mercenary arrests, at BusinessDay. En ook, Vyf in hof oor Russiese militêre werwing, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Law firm claims vindictiveness by KZN education head in charging seven principals with misconduct News24 reports that a law firm acting on behalf of 11 schools has accused the head of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education department, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, of being “vindictive” after he charged seven of the school principals with misconduct. The seven were part of a group of principals from 22 schools that had previously secured a High Court order preventing Ngcobo’s department from implementing its 2025 teacher post establishment as it had only informed schools about it a week before the December holidays in 2024. As a result of the court order, these schools were allowed to retain the same number of teachers they had in 2024 going into 2025. In a separate matter, the department charged the seven with improper, disgraceful and unacceptable conduct on 22 October 2025 for “deliberately attempting to benefit from the state by falsifying or deliberately misrepresenting their pupil enrolment information”. The charges stemmed from the findings of a task team commissioned by Ngcobo. The task team’s findings, contained in a document marked “draft report”, were that the principals of the schools falsified or deliberately misrepresented facts and “deliberately attempted to benefit from the state at the expense of poor or more deserving schools”. But, according to law firm Tatham Wilkes the report was “flawed” and the recommendations “ill-conceived and draconian”. The department has until 23 January 2026 to motivate why a high court order suspending the disciplinary proceedings against the principals should not be granted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Resignation of Northern Cape teacher accused of sleeping with pupil rejected TimesLIVE reports that a teacher who resigned after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a pupil attempted to evade accountability by arguing that the Northern Cape education department no longer had jurisdiction to discipline him. However, the department rejected his resignation and ordered him to appear before a disciplinary panel. When he failed to attend, the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) proceeded in his absence, ultimately finding him guilty of misconduct and dismissing him. In its ruling, the council relied on Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court precedents confirming that an employer retained the power to discipline an employee who resigned immediately after being served with notice of a disciplinary hearing. The courts have also held that a resignation with immediate effect does not automatically end the employment relationship when a contractual notice period applies. “In following the legal principles set out in the above precedents, I find that the employer had the right not to accept the employee’s immediate resignation and repudiation of his employment contract and the notice period contained therein,” ELRC commissioner David Pietersen said in his award issued last week. Based on the evidence before him, Pietersen found Mdze, who had been based at a high school in Galeshewe, Kimberley, guilty of contravening the Employment of Educators Act by engaging in a sexual relationship with a pupil. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE
Class action filed over Msunduzi’s massive unpaid pension benefits The Witness reports that a Pietermaritzburg law firm has launched a class action lawsuit against Msunduzi Municipality, accusing the City of abandoning its former workers and leaving them to suffer for more than a decade without the pension payouts they earned in service. The unpaid pension funds in question were managed by the Pietermaritzburg Corporation Provident Fund, which was outsourced and has since been liquidated. The pensioners have been pleading for their benefits since 2012. Attorney Primi Chetty said the municipality has ignored every attempt to resolve the matter amicably. Central to the dispute is a forensic investigation commissioned years ago to determine what happened to the pension funds. The report on the investigation, according to Chetty, “never saw the light of day”, and the law firm lodged a PAIA application last Friday to force the municipality to release it. “We want to know what happened to that report, and why it was hidden. Our first target is to obtain that document and understand how this crisis was allowed to unfold,” Chetty indicated. She said that the municipality passed a council resolution in 2019 instructing that the pensioners be paid while the investigation continued, but that decision was never implemented. When the pensioners first raised the alarm, the outstanding amount was around R33 million. With more than a decade of interest and inflation, the figure is now believed to have ballooned to about R100 million. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chris Ndaliso at The Witness
Motsoaledi doubles down on the phasing out of medical aid tax credits BusinessTech reports that according to Department of Health (DOH) Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, the removal of medical aid tax credits is written into the National Health Insurance (NHI) laws approved by Parliament. Responding to parliamentary questions around the NHI and the plans to remove medical aid tax credits for about a third of medical scheme members, Motsoaledi shrugged off concerns. In October, the DOH revealed that it was in talks with the National Treasury to start phasing out the medical aid rebate and funnel the ‘savings’ towards the NHI. According to the DOH, R33 billion can be directed to the NHI through the cutting of the tax credit, which it says serves those who are “well off” at the expense of the poor. But, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) warned that removing medical aid tax credits would harm low-earning medical aid members in particular, making membership unaffordable for them. Motsoaledi was asked by DA MP Dr Karl Le Roux whether the department performed its own assessment of the situation. But, the minister’s response missed the crux of the question, which was whether or not the DOH had conducted any study or assessment on the removal of medical aid tax credits and the resultant impact on medical aid scheme members. The minister also neglected to draw focus to the highly controversial and contested Section 33 of the NHI Act, which would prevents medical aids from covering the same services that the NHI would cover. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessTech
Labour Court dismisses WCED's application for leave to appeal former teacher's reinstatement Cape Times reports that Acting Labour Court Judge, Veronique Barthus, remarked when dismissing the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED’s) latest attempt to challenge a ruling that ordered the reinstatement and back-pay of a former Primrose Park Primary teacher that what started as an ill-conceived review application had taken the form of litigation-by-attrition. The WCED had sought leave to appeal a judgment handed down last month, which dismissed its attempt to overturn an earlier arbitration award in favour of teacher Lee-Ann Snyders. Judge Barthus had, in her previous ruling, found that on the strength of the evidence placed before the arbitrator, his decision fell within the band of reasonableness. She therefore dismissed the WCED’s initial application for review. The teacher who was dismissed on several charges of misconduct by a 2020 disciplinary process had turned to arbitration to challenge her dismissal and succeeded. The arbitrator had rejected evidence by the pupils and found that "there was a propensity of the learners for not telling the truth” concerning the allegations that led to Snyders being removed from her post. In its leave to appeal, the WCED had largely “rehashed its submissions” and failed to show that there was a reasonable prospect that another court would reach a different conclusion, said Judge Barthus. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicola Daniels at Cape Times
Amid misconduct allegations, Nehawu opposes return to duty of CEO of Victoria Mxenge Hospital Daily News reports that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) is opposed to the proposed return of Dr Thami Mayise as CEO of Victoria Mxenge Hospital, following ongoing allegations of misconduct and workplace bullying against him. On Monday, Nehawu's Prince Manthane, outlined the union's stance regarding their opposition to Dr Mayise's return. He asserted that the decision to reinstate the doctor was fraught with risks and threatened to undermine the fragile peace at the institution. In September 2023, Nehawu submitted a memorandum of demands to the Department of Health in which they raised concerns about Mayise's conduct as CEO and called for accountability regarding his alleged actions. Following the complaints, an investigation was launched. Initial recommendations pointed towards his removal from office to allow for an unobstructed inquiry. However, Manthane revealed that despite the union's submissions, there has been a lack of communication regarding the investigation's findings. “We only learned last week that he is due to return on December 1 (Monday),” he said, expressing their frustration at not being kept abreast of developments. Upon learning of Mayise's planned return, workers stated firmly that it would result in "no work that is going to be done," as they viewed his leadership as detrimental to their working environment. Manthane reiterated that Nehawu was opposed to Mayise's return. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Jack at Daily News
Two former State Security Agency officials in court over theft of R12m TimesLIVE reports that two former members of the State Security Agency (SSA) appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday on charges related to the misappropriation of R12m in state funds. Patrick Mshothola and Thulani Dlomo were arrested on Sunday by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) of the National Prosecuting Authority. Mshothola had been project manager on various projects within the chief directorate for special operations and Dlomo had been deputy director for counterintelligence. Both were charged with theft, fraud, forgery and uttering. Idac’s Henry Mamothame indicated: “Mshothola and Dlomo allegedly acted in common purpose in the misappropriation of R12m belonging to the SSA during their tenure as employees of the agency.” The accused were granted bail of R20,000 each and their case was postponed until 26 January 2026. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE. Read too, Two former SSA members arrested for stealing R12 million in state funds, at IOL News
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