Today's Labour News
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.
Cape cobra visits Silvermine naval base leaving staff scrambling in fear
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News24 reports that operations at the SA Navy’s base at Silvermine, near Simon’s Town, were temporarily halted after staff members stumbled upon a Cape cobra on the premises.
Western Cape Education Department warns young teachers about WhatsApp scam
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Cape Times reports that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has raised the alarm over a scam preying on unemployed, new and substitute teachers across Cape Town, with fraudsters posing as officials and soliciting money for fake permanent posts.
Confusion as statement on recommended National Minimum Wage increase withdrawn
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News24 reports that a statement on the recommended increase of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) has been withdrawn, making it unclear whether the recommendation will remain valid.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 11 December 2025
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
Nine KZN schools retain teacher posts after court challenge
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News24 reports that nine schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) will be allowed to retain the same number of teaching posts they had in 2024 into 2026 after they successfully challenged the provincial education department’s teacher post allocations in court.
TVET college lecturer fired for sexual harassment fails to get his job back
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The Citizen reports that a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college senior lecturer dismissed for sexual harassment has failed in his bid to be reinstated.
Makhanda police captain wins R80,000 for defamation in fallout after controversial ‘monkey’ remark
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Daily Maverick reports that a police captain, formerly the acting head of Visible Police Support at the Joza police station in Makhanda, has won R80,000 in damages against the SA Police Service (SAPS) after posters describing her as a ‘white racist bitch’ were distributed in the police station.
Vodacom boss Shameel Joosub is the top earning telco CEO
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ITWeb reports that Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom, which is SA’s largest mobile network operator, is the top telco earner this year, with a total income of R71 million, inclusive of various benefits.
Three arrested after off-duty Eastern Cape policeman stabbed to death on Sunday
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DailyDispatch reports that three suspects have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of an off-duty Eastern Cape police officer, who was stabbed multiple times and had his throat slit.
Workers, unions accuse Ekurhuleni of not delivering on promised R8.2bn insourcing plan
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City Press reports that the City of Ekurhuleni is under fire with outsourced workers, trade unions and municipal insiders accusing the municipality of failing to implement its long-promised insourcing programme.
Labour Appeal Court rules Covid-19 child minder job cuts at Emnotweni Casino were fair
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IOL Business reports that a Covid-related retrenchment of child minders at a Tsogo Sun Casino has been found, mostly, to have been done in all fairness.
Safety concerns after attack on official force closure of Petrusburg Labour Centre
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SABC News reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) in the Free State has closed down its Petrusburg Labour Centre following an attack on one of its officials.
Tech jobs market in South Africa bounces back
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TechCentral reports that SA’s tech jobs market is showing signs of strong recovery after a three-year slump that began in 2022. This is according to the November 2025 Pnet Job Market Trends Report, which shows that technology-job vacancies increased 18% year-on-year for the year to end-October.
Parents and staff alarmed as security withdrawal leaves Gauteng schools vulnerable
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The Star reports that the Gauteng Department of Education has come under fire for removing trained security guards from high-risk schools, leaving students and staff vulnerable to gang violence, theft, and even fatal attacks.
SIU gets order freezing Eskom official’s luxury home and vehicle in R54m tender fraud investigation
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The Citizen reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained a preservation order to freeze a luxury property and a vehicle linked to an Eskom employee and his family following an investigation into bribery and corruption.
Labour department compiling ‘hit list’ of companies that repeatedly break labour laws
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BusinessTech reports that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya says SA needs to take a far more aggressive stance against companies that repeatedly break labour laws.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 10 December 2025
- Details
In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
Northern Cape teacher loses bid to return to work after having resigned over ‘intolerable’ working conditions
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The Citizen reports that a Northern Cape teacher who resigned from her job, alleging hostile working conditions, has failed in her attempt to return to work after the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) ruled that her resignation had been voluntary.
Special Tribunal orders disciplinary action against 16 KZN education officials implicated in R2.5m toilet contract scandal
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News24 reports that the axe could fall on 16 KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education officials caught red-handed in a R2.5-million mobile toilet scam after a web of collusion and price-fixing was revealed.
Armed robbery at Caluza Clinic in KZN raises employee safety concerns
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The Star reports that following an armed robbery that occurred on 29 November 2025, the Public Servants Association (PSA) expressed great concern about the safety of employees at the Caluza Clinic in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Mass retrenchments averted as Eskom extends last-minute lifeline to smelters
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News24 Business reports that Eskom has signed an agreement with Samancor Chrome and the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture that has effectively halted mass retrenchments at ferrochrome smelters that would have commenced as early as this week.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 9 December 2025
- Details
In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
Salary boost for eThekwini municipal workers as agreement reached with Samwu
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The Mercury reports that the eThekwini metro has reached an agreement with trade unions to increase the salaries of employees. The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in eThekwini announced a landmark settlement agreement on benchmarking, following sustained union advocacy to address pay parity, among other issues.
SANDF is broke and sick, with only 27% of soldiers fighting fit
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City Press reports that only 27% of the standing force of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is currently healthy enough to be deployed, according to statistics from the SA Military Health Service (SAMHS).
Avon pledges no merger-related job losses for a two-year moratorium period
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BusinessLive reports that consumer goods retailer Avon International has received regulatory approval to acquire UK-based Natura & Co UK, the owner of Avon’s South African operations.
Unpaid Luthuli House staff salaries ‘resolved,’ Mbalula claims
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The Citizen reports that at a media briefing on Sunday, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula claimed that the non-payment of the November salaries of staff at Luthuli House had been resolved.
Former chief financial officer released on bail of R80,000 after arrest for R91m fraud
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IOL News reports that a former Chief Financial Officer at Riskfin has been released on bail after he was arrested for alleged fraud to the tune of R91 million.
Pensioner wins legal battle against Prasa for train robbery injuries
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Cape Times reports that a pensioner has been successful in his legal bid to hold the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) liable for injuries sustained after he and his wife were robbed on a Metrorail train en route to Retreat Station.
Witness D pays with his life for his testimony at Madlanga Commission
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Sunday Independent reports that the tragic assassination of Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe has sent shockwaves through SA’s political landscape, igniting fervent calls for enhanced protections for whistle-blowers.
Crime Intelligence boss to return to work after bail condition restricting him from entering police offices lifted
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The Citizen reports that Crime Intelligence divisional commissioner Dumisani Khumalo and two senior officials have been allowed to return to work after a bail condition restricting them from entering police offices was overturned.