In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Six in 10 young South Africans have no jobs, but some still reject offers of work SA has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with an official rate of 32%, rising to 42% when discouraged job seekers are included. Among young people aged 15 to 24, unemployment is a staggering 60%. Hannah J Dawson notes that while much attention has focused on youth exclusion from the labour market and their survival strategies, far less is said about their experiences in precarious jobs, or why some choose to leave low-wage employment. In 2015 and 2016, the author conducted in-depth interviews and a survey with 100 young people (aged 18-35) in the settlement of Zandspruit, near Johannesburg, for her PhD. What they told her was that the wage work available to them did not offer a pathway to a dignified life. While temporary contracts and retrenchments explain half of all job losses, voluntary quitting was a striking trend in a country with such high unemployment. The most common reason for quitting was exploitative labour conditions. The interviewees spoke of employers bypassing minimum benefits, withholding pay and making unfair deductions. Contracts were rarely made permanent. More than just poor wages or bad working conditions, these jobs offered little prospect of social mobility. Some felt that no matter how hard they worked, they would never earn enough to improve their lives or achieve what they saw as key markers of respected manhood, like marriage, establishing a home and supporting a family. Being disrespected in the workplace takes a psychological and emotional toll. For some, quitting was a way to reclaim respect and a degree of autonomy. By rejecting such jobs, these young men challenge the notion that “any job is better than no job” and assert their right to economic participation on fair and dignified terms. Their stories challenge society to rethink the relationship between work, dignity and citizenship. Read the full original of the thought-provoking article in the above regard by Hannah J Dawson at Moneyweb
Injured soldiers could be back in SA from DRC on Tuesday morning, says Sandu TimesLIVE reports that the South African soldiers wounded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could land in SA on Tuesday morning. The SA National Defence Union's (Sandu’s) Pikkie Greeff indicated on Monday night that they expected the troops to be in the country by Tuesday morning, but he could not immediately confirm how many of the sick and injured soldiers were being brought back. “It's been difficult to get communication from the SANDF. They should be in the country within the next 24 hours (from 4pm). About three of them need urgent medical attention,” Greeff said. It was previously reported that according to an incident report by the Sadc Mission to the DRC (SAMIDRC), one soldier – a private – lost his leg while two others were injured by shrapnel. A lance corporal was wounded in the foot, while a sergeant was wounded in the thigh. Two privates suffered head injuries and a corporal suffered a panic attack. Several soldiers suffered multiple injuries, such as two privates who sustained injuries to their legs and arms. Others suffered leg, eye or stomach injuries, while one private was injured in the lower buttock. Defence Web reported that about 200 wounded and sick soldiers from SAMIDRC were apparently on their way out of Goma in the eastern DRC after weeks of negotiations with M23 rebels. City Press reported that 189 wounded SA soldiers – including five seriously injured and two who were pregnant – were supposed to leave on Saturday, but were told on Friday that the plan to evacuate them had fallen through. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE. Read too, Wounded troops en route to South Africa – SA National Defence Union, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). And also, Angie Motshekga says injured soldiers will be repatriated ‘soon’, at BusinessLive Sandu backs Lieutenant General Maphaha’s ‘Mickey Mouse’ defence force comments SABC News reports that the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) has backed comments made over the weekend by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Lieutenant General Peter Ntshavheni Maphaha, who accused the government of running a “Mickey Mouse” defence force. This after 14 SANDF soldiers were killed in clashes between Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) armed forces and the M23 rebels last month in the eastern Congo. Maphaha was speaking at the funeral of Staff Sergeant Ishmael Molahlehi in the Free State. He warned the government that borders were not being protected, leaving South Africans vulnerable. Sandu national secretary Pikkie Greeff said he supported Maphaha’s remarks. “Everything that the Sergeant General said there is factual. There’s no argument there. It needed to be said, and people don’t always like what they hear, but the ones who don’t like it are the ones who made it the way it is. And that’s the politicians,” commented Greef. He went on to indicate that “without the Defence Force that’s effective and capable, we might as well give up our sovereignty and all of these other things that we try to look after.” Meanwhile, the process of evacuating injured SA soldiers from the eastern DRC is underway. The M23 is insisting that the only route that will be cleared for evacuation will be through the Rwandan border. SA is not keen to go through Rwanda fearing humiliation by the Rwandan authorities. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at SABC News. Read too, Government slammed for running “Mickey Mouse SANDF”, at The Star
Questions over death of KZN principal killed in hit-and-run accident TimesLIVE reports that colleagues of a high school principal killed in a hit-and-run accident in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are questioning whether his death might be linked to the appointment of a new service provider at the school. Vusumuzi Praisegod Khumalo, 59, principal of the Mlokothwa High School, was running on the N2 near Mthunzini on Saturday when he was hit by a car that then sped away from the scene. Reliable sources say Khumalo was busy preparing to appoint a new service provider. “The contract of one of its current providers was ending on March 28 and the school was no longer happy with their services,” he indicated. The source said pupils, parents and the school governing body were no longer happy as the company was delivering “sub standard” services. Another source said the company had worked with the school for more than 20 years, but “the company was too comfortable after serving for many years and they dropped the standard which ended up costing them their contract.” A teacher at the school said Khumalo was preparing for his first Comrades marathon when he was killed and that it could not be ruled out that his murder was a hit. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mlungisi Mhlophe-Gumede at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Failure to pay parks and tourism workers believed to be political smear campaign against North West MEC The Star reports that North West MEC for Economic, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, Bitsa Lenkopane, is allegedly facing a “political smear campaign” to vacate her office, with accusations having been made of failure to pay workers for the Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB). This was after Lenkopane told some members of the provincial standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) to declare their businesses with the Parks and Tourism Board. NWPTB is registered as a state-owned entity reporting to the North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT). The board is mandated to manage the 14 protected areas and nature reserves in the province, including the Pilanesberg and Madikwe Game Reserves. It is also mandated to provide hospitality training conducted in two hotel schools. According to sources, some union members, alleged to be in the pockets of politicians, recently staged a protest in Mahikeng and forced the board paymaster not to process the salaries. This was apparently despite Lenkopane’s efforts to make salaries available after she was approached to intervene. In a statement released on 20 February, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said it was disgusted by the non-payment of salaries and called on Premier Lazarus Mokgosi and Lenkopane to urgently and promptly attend to the matter. The union also pointed out that the board has had five acting chief executives in the short space of less than a year, which demonstrated the crisis confronting the entity. The salaries have since been paid. In a letter to Lenkopane, NWPTB's acting chief executive officer, Jonathan Denga, confirmed that the salaries of all employees were paid on 22 February. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Manyane Manyane at The Star
Cost of household food basket increased by R50.32 in January over December SowetanLive reports that maize meal, cooking oil, sugar beans, spinach and wors were some of the food items that went up in the past month, pushing the cost of an average household food basket up by R50.32 from R5,383.38 in December 2024 to R5,433.70 in January. The basket increased by R108,84 from R5,324.86 in January 2024 to R5,433.70 in January 2025. Last week, in an unprecedented move, Parliament had to cancel Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech over disagreements among members of the government of national unity on increasing VAT by two percentage points. This would have taken VAT to 17%. “Foods subject to VAT make up 47% of the total cost of the household food basket. VAT on the total household food basket came to R331,02 in January 2025,” the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) noted. It went on to indicate: “This means 6.1% of the household food basket is made up of VAT. A tax of R331,02 is nearly the same cost of a large household's requirement of 30kg maize meal per month. VAT on basic foodstuffs is still high and removes food off the plate.” Food and petrol prices are but a few things that contribute to the high cost of living, making it difficult for many SA households to make ends meet. "The high cost of core staple foods results in a lot of proper nutritious food being removed off the family plates. The consequences of high costs on the core foods has a negative impact on overall household health and well-being and child development,” the PMBEJD said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sibongile Mashaba at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Harmony Gold’s death traps saw 13 miners perish in 23 months Sunday World reports that yet another mineworker at Harmony Gold’s mining operations has died, following an underground incident on last Thursday morning. The tragic event, which took place at Harmony Gold’s Mponeng mine in Carletonville, Gauteng, was announced by the gold mining company in a media statement released on Friday evening. It brings the body count of workers who have died underground at Harmony’s mining operations since March 2023 to a staggering 13 (details of each case contained in Sunday World report). The deadly work incidents bring into sharp focus Harmony Gold’s safety record. “We are doing all we can to prevent safety incidents through embedded and proactive risk management practices alongside our humanistic safety culture transformation journey. Our thoughts and prayers go out to every single person affected by these tragic events,” said Beyers Nel, chief executive officer of Harmony. Harmony’s group chief executive Beyers Nel indicated that: “The safety and well-being of our employees is, and will always be, our number one priority … We are committed to zero harm, and yet recent events remind us that we must do more with urgency, with unity, and with unwavering resolve.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Sibanyoni at Sunday World Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Mashatile, Creecy push for appointment of worse-performing candidate to get SAA top job News24 reports that Transport Minister Barbara Creecy will be recommending the worst-performing candidate for the chief executive officer job at SA Airways (SAA) after intervention by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and the ANC's deployment committee. On Wednesday, the Cabinet will consider a memorandum from a sub-committee motivating the appointment of John Lamola to the top job at SAA, despite him scoring the lowest in evaluations out of the three top candidates. The ANC deployment committee, chaired by Mashatile, had given Lamola's application the nod during a meeting on 26 October. Then months after the SAA board had decided on its preference – the current Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka – Mashatile and Creecy conducted their own interviews of Kilavuka and Lamola on 15 January 2025. The third candidate – Philip Saunders, who scored the highest in the interviews – was not interviewed that day, and it is not clear if he was ever invited. It is also unclear in what capacity Mashatile would have conducted such interviews. The appointment of the CEO of a state-owned enterprise is solely within the minister's purview. The board must recommend a shortlist with a preference, and the minister can interview any of the candidates. Then, a recommendation is made to the Cabinet for approval before the board can commence the appointment process. Lamola, a professor at the University of Johannesburg, holds a doctorate in theology from Edinburgh University, an MBA in aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the US and is currently the chairperson of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa. Read the full original of the extensive report in the above regard by Kyle Cowan at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Fort Hare University to house SA's second veterinary science school News24 reports that SA’s second veterinary science school is set to open in about two years at the University of Fort Hare, the institution advised on Sunday. On Friday, during his state of the province address, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane announced that the Department of Higher Education and Training had approved the university's application to offer veterinary sciences. Currently, the only SA institution offering veterinary sciences is the University of Pretoria. Mabuyane said: "It has been under discussion for quite a long time. We have been saying that we needed a vet school, given the high number of livestock. I had a series of discussions with a number of tertiary institutions in Germany. They stand ready to support the vet school." He added that the veterinary school would contribute to the improvement of livestock genetics, quality and disease control, "making our products more competitive in the export market". University spokesperson JP Roodt said the first intake could be as early as 2027 or 2028. The faculty will be on the Alice campus, where land has already been identified for the research farm. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Emfuleni municipality loses again after paying over R55m to fight against paying R211,000 in a labour dispute City Press reports that the Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng has suffered another blow after the Bargaining Council (BC) ruled in favour of an employee in respect of whom it had spent more than R55 million in an epic labour dispute. The cash-strapped municipality has been told to reinstate the acting manager, Edward Radebe, and pay him three months' salary, totalling R211,194. The dispute dates back to 2018 when he lodged an unfair labour practice dispute with the BC. Radebe, who had acted in his position for more than a decade, demanded to be paid the benefits associated with the post. The BC ruled in Radebe's favour and directed the municipality to pay him R739,000 However, the municipality refused to pay and hired multiple law firms to appeal the decision at the Labour Appeal Court. Despite the court ruling in Radebe’s favour, the municipality still would not pay. In October 2023, Radebe had the municipality’s bank account attached to recoup the funds, thereby forcing the municipality to pay him R1.1 million, including interest. In January last year, the municipality approached the Constitutional Court for leave to appeal the matter, but lost. The municipality then fired Radebe for attaching its bank account, but he successfully lobbied the BC Council once again and was reinstated. However, on 4 February 2025 when he reported for duty as ordered by the BC, he was sent away. Radebe has since applied to the BC for enforcement. In March last year, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Mzi Khumalo revealed that Emfuleni had splurged R55,315,741 on law firms in the dispute. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at City Press (subscriber access only)
Gautrain back up and running between Rosebank station and Park station News24 reports that the Gautrain's services between Rosebank station and Park station have returned to normal after trains were suspended on 15 February. The suspension came after unauthorised drilling on private property caused soil and water to seep into the underground transport system. During the repairs, Gautrain scaled up its services between Rosebank and Park, using busses that ran between the two stations every 15 minutes from 05:30 to 20:30. The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) told the provincial legislature that the contractor responsible for the drilling had not provided proof of approval for the borehole from the City of Joburg or Joburg Water, as required in terms of the City’s by-laws. It said it had issued letters to the property owner and the contractor, outlining their violations and the province’s right to claim financial losses. Gautrain CEO Tshepo Kgobe said they would take legal action against the body corporate concerned under the Gauteng Infrastructure Transport Act. He also said damages from the illegal drilling were at about R1 million. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ella Morrison at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, Gautrain running again between Joburg and Rosebank after illegal borehole drama, at IOL News
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