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 roundup of weekend and recent reports,
see the following summaries of our selection of
South African labour-related articles.
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SA troops and allies finally start leaving DRC BL Premium reports that three months since the battle of Goma tipped the balance of control in North Kivu province in favour of M23 rebels, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and its counterparts from Malawi and Tanzania have finally and quietly started withdrawing from their bases in Goma and Sake in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The three countries’ soldiers are part of the ill-fated SamiDRC (SA Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) deployed to the area in December 2023 to assist the Congolese government get a grip on the volatile conflict-ridden area where M23 was rapidly gaining ground. The Sadc announced last month it would terminate the poorly prepared, underfunded peacekeeping mission, after 17 SamiDRC soldiers, of whom 14 were South African, died in the three-day battle for Goma. The order to start packing was received just before this past weekend. Rather than move in a single convoy, the force will depart in groupings via Rwanda and Burundi to Chato in northwestern Tanzania. The latter will be the gathering area for the whole force to be repatriated to their respective countries. The first vehicles began the journey of more than 500km on Sunday. “We are leaving with all our equipment, armaments and everything. We are leaving nothing behind,” one soldier said as they were furiously packing and loading on Sunday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Erika Gibson at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Police offer R350,000 reward for information on three missing constables The Citizen reports that the SA Police Service (SAPS) has offered a R350,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of three missing constables. National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola made the announcement during a press briefing on Sunday. The trio, consisting of 24-year-old Constable Cebekhulu Linda, 30-year-old Constable Keamogetswe Buys, and 20-year-old Constable Boipelo Senoge, were travelling in a white VW Polo sedan from Bloemfontein to their area of deployment in Limpopo when they went missing. Their last known location was at the Engen garage near the Grasmere toll plaza on the N1 south of Johannesburg on Wednesday. Masemola visited the families of the missing constables on Sunday to provide an update on the hijacking and kidnapping case. He said all available police resources were being deployed to the case and urged the public to assist. Masemola assured the families and the public that every possible lead was being followed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen. Read too, Search intensifies for three missing constables as police offer R350k reward, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). En ook, Beloning uitgeloof in soektog na drie vermiste konstabels, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Harmony Gold miner dies in accident at Moab Khotsong mine BL Premium reports that Harmony Gold announced last week that a miner was killed in an accident at its Moab Khotsong mine, a deep-level operation near the towns of Orkney and Klerksdorp in the North West. The incident, involving a locomotive, occurred on Friday morning. All relevant authorities and stakeholders have been informed and an investigation, led by the mineral resources department, was under way, the company said. “We are profoundly saddened by this tragic loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of our colleague during this incredibly difficult time,” CEO Beyers Nel stated. In February, Harmony Gold announced the deaths of two miners at its Mponeng mine after a fall-of-ground incident triggered by an earth tremor. The incident claimed the life of one miner at the scene, while another was severely injured and succumbed to his injuries under medical care. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Lindiwe Tsobo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). See too, Harmony reports loss-of-life incident at Moab Khotsong mine, at Mining Weekly Sibanye-Stillwater hints at closing unprofitable PGM shafts BusinessLive reports that diversified mining house Sibanye-Stillwater has warned it might close unprofitable shafts this year if platinum group metals (PGM) prices do not pick up – a move that would lead to further job losses in the sector. The group also expects overall PGM production from SA to dip slightly this year. The company said in its annual report, published on Friday: “SA producers have made significant efforts to cut costs and reduce capex spending while maintaining output. However, rising costs and a low basket price mean that the mines at the top of the cost curve are loss making. If the basket price does not improve this year it may become necessary to close out some unprofitable areas.” The PGM sector, the biggest employer in SA’s mining industry last year, shed about 10,000 jobs as mining houses recalibrated operations in response to plunging prices. Anglo American Platinum last year cut 3,700 jobs to reduce costs by about R5bn, while Sibanye-Stillwater let go of 2,600 workers at its PGM operations in SA and Impala Platinum slashed its workforce by 4,000 workers. Sibanye said it was positioning its PGM production profile to align with the longer-term market requirements, “while building up capability to service the requirements of the electrified vehicle market through participation in automotive battery value chains, particularly in Europe”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Poll shows less than half of South Africans think government should keep BEE going Fin24 reports that according to a large-scale survey Ipsos survey commissioned by News24, eleven out of every 25 South Africans – less than half the population – believe government should keep Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) going. Nine out of every 25, over a third of the population, believe government should end all BEE policies, while five in every 25 don’t know what government should do with the controversial legislation aimed at redressing the historical economic inequality created by apartheid. When looking at the race of respondents, 46% of black South Africans think BEE should continue, 32% believe it should end and around 22% don’t know. Among white South Africans, 57% think the policy must end, while 36% think it should stay in place. Around 56% of Indians or Asians, and 47% of coloured South Africans agree that BEE should be over. The same survey found that 46% of South Africans agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that BEE policies were slowing down economic growth in SA. Around 24% disagreed or strongly disagreed, while just over 29% had no viewpoint on the matter, or simply did not know if BEE was impacting the country’s growth. Around 41% agreed that BEE policies were outdated and divisive, while 27% disagreed. More than a third of black South Africans (37%) agreed, and a similar number (36%) of ANC supporters agreed. The survey was conducted by Ipsos between December and January. The sample size of over 3,600 South Africans was randomly selected, and interviews were conducted face-to-face in the respondents’ homes and in their home languages. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ahmed Areff at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required) Solidarity demands an end date for racial laws rejected by South Africans in poll Maroela Media reports that referring to a recent Ipsos survey commissioned by News24, Solidarity says that urgent talks are needed to plan the phasing out of racial laws in SA. The trade union said in a statement on Friday that it intended to intensify local pressure on authorities and interest groups so that SA could begin an active discussion on when and how racial laws in the form of so-called affirmative action measures should come to an end. In the survey, only 44% of South Africans indicated that they were still in favour of retaining legislation on black economic empowerment (BEE). Less than half of black South Africans believed that BEE should continue, while the majority of white and coloured South Africans wanted to see an end to it. “This Ipsos survey is consistent with what Solidarity also perceives. People across all races are seeking an end to racial laws. The ANC must heed the will of the people and begin discussions about phasing out these policies,” Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), commented. He added that this was not the first survey indicating that South Africans were no longer interested in BEE or other racial laws. Mulder referred to a survey conducted by the Institute for Race Relations (IRR) in 2021 which found that only 3% of South Africans and about 4% of black South Africans consider BEE a priority. “Contrary to what the headlines say, people prefer merit. The major reason why people reject BEE in their masses is that it has no positive impact on anyone except the politically connected elite. This survey also shows that the greatest needs of South African citizens are jobs and security. Racial legislation does nothing about any of that, it is bad for South Africa’s economy and it is bad for South Africa’s population. It is a millstone around South Africa’s neck,” Mulder commented. Read the full Afrikaans report in the above regard by Isabel Venter at Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Workers at several North West municipalities concerned by ongoing salary payment crisis SABC News reports that according to the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in the North West, four municipalities in the province have been struggling to pay workers on time in recent months. The failure of some municipalities to pay workers’ salaries has left many of the employees worried about their futures. The union says the Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla local municipality and the Schweizer Reneke-based Mamusa local municipality, where workers were recently not paid their salaries for over two months, are among the affected municipalities Samwu has accused some municipalities of prioritising service providers at the expense of workers. “So, it’s a crisis. Normally, what we have observed is that the employer will then pay service providers, before they can actually pay workers,” claimed Vincent Diphoko, Samwu’s North West provincial secretary. The union called on the North West government to intervene in the ongoing salary crisis affecting workers in several municipalities across the province. North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Gaoage Molapisi, urged municipalities which largely depended on grants, to devise other ways of ensuring financial viability to deal with salary challenges. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thabiso Moss at SABC News
Mafoko Security blames broke municipalities as its pension fund contribution debt hits R111m Sunday World reports security giant Mafoko Security Patrols has blamed broke municipalities as the reason it has failed to pay over pension contributions. The debt has now ballooned to R111-million, with the company telling the Johannesburg High Court that delayed payments from its government clients pushed it into default. Mafoko is fighting to block the sheriff from attaching its assets in Gauteng and Limpopo, after it was found guilty of failing to contribute to the Private Security Sector Provident Fund (PSSPF) for thousands of security guards, with some of the defaults dating back over 10 years. The apparently employs 11,000 security guards. In a new urgent interdict, Mafoko begged the court to stop the enforcement of a writ of execution that would allow the PSSPF to recover the unpaid pension money by seizing its properties. The firm argued that its computers and servers contained highly sensitive data linked to state entities. Company director Lebo Nare claimed that Mafoko owed R20-million in unpaid pensions by February 2016 and later signed an acknowledgement of debt with the fund. She told the court the company had settled the full amount by 2018. But in a scathing reply affidavit filed last week, PSSPF legal officer Ndabazovuyo Ndabeni rubbished Mafoko’s claims. “There is no evidence to support the allegation that [Mafoko] settled the debt in full,” he attested. Ndabeni further revealed that Mafoko later signed a second acknowledgement of debt for R47-million – an amount it never honoured. “Consequently, as at the date of preparing this affidavit, [Mafoko] is indebted in the minimum sum of R39 655 666 in respect of all statutory contributions and penalty interest of R111 ,354, 605,” Ndabeni said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane at Sunday World
Fedsas hauls KZN education department to court for missing teaching post announcement deadline News24 reports that governing body association Fedsas (Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools) is embroiled in a legal spat with the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education department over its failure to announce, by 30 September 2024, the total number of state teaching posts schools to be allocated this year. Fedsas will ask the KZN High Court in Pietermaritzburg to declare a circular issued by the head of the education department, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, to schools in the province on 24 November 2024 "invalid and unlawful". The SA Schools Act of 1996 stipulates that provincial education departments must communicate the Post Provisioning Norm (PPN) or teaching posts to governing bodies and principals by 30 September each year. The PPN requires the state to allocate teaching posts to public schools yearly based on pupil numbers and available funding. Ngcobo signed the circular on 20 November 2024 and issued it to schools on 28 November 2024 – well after the 30 September deadline. "The head of department's unlawful and unconstitutional conduct is 'an egregious abuse of public power' which impacts on the rule of law and/or principle of legality as guaranteed by the Constitution," Fedsas chief executive officer Jaco Deacon claimed in court papers. Fedsas argued that a delayed announcement disrupted schools' ability to manage resources, fill vacancies, and plan effectively for the new academic year. The matter has been set down on the unopposed court roll for 11 June 2025. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Principal subjected to ‘immense trauma' mulls charging politicians who falsely accused him of child rape News24 reports that Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse says he is contemplating laying criminal charges and launching lawsuits against those who falsely accused him of raping a 7-year-old child – including several prominent politicians. Pieterse says the "lowest point" of being falsely accused "came when prominent politicians and high-ranking state officials failed to perform their duties with diligence and resorted to cheap politics, discrediting me by spreading falsehoods and labelling me as a rapist and someone unwilling to cooperate with the authorities". Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has admitted he wrongly identified Pieterse as a suspect in the alleged rape of the child and has apologised to him in a letter sent to AfriForum private prosecution unit head advocate Gerrie Nel, who has been advising the principal. In a letter sent to Mchunu on Friday, Nel wrote: "Our client (Pieterse) experienced the trauma caused by uninformed media detectives, politicians, and even academics who feel themselves entitled to comment and judge 'criminal conduct' without any reference to facts and/or concern for the harm it may cause. We will take appropriate action against politicians and prominent individuals to uphold the principle that defamation has both criminal and civil consequences," he said. Pieterse and his family received death threats and had to go into hiding after the mother of the 7-year-old Bergview pupil went public with her accusations that police and school authorities had failed to properly investigate and address her daughter's alleged rape in October last year. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karyn Maughan at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Lees ook, Bergview College: Minister ‘jammer’ oor vals inligting, by Maroela Media. En, Cwecwe: AfriForum kom vir diegene wat vals beskuldig, by Maroela Media Dismissed teacher who runs private tuition business says sex assault claims were fabricated by jealous rivals Sunday Times reports that a KwaZulu-Natal maths and science teacher is going ahead with a maths and science boot camp for pupils this week, despite being dismissed by the education department for sexual misconduct and ruled unfit to work with children. Khangelani Sibiya, 39, runs a boarding facility for children who attend schools in Richards Bay, as well as a private tutoring business in various areas of northern KwaZulu-Natal. He was dismissed as a teacher after an Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) hearing on 8 April found him guilty of two counts of sexual assault — and directed he be listed on the Child Protection Register. Individuals listed on the register are banned from working with children in various capacities, including managing or operating child-related institutions, working with children in such institutions, or becoming foster or adoptive parents. Sibiya claims the charges were a “fabrication brought about by competitors in the mathematics field who cannot match his prowess”. At the ELRC hearing, Sibiya faced six counts of sexual misconduct for incidents alleged to have taken place between 2019 and 2022 at Mnotho Primary School and at the Wild en Weide boarding facility, which is owned by Sibiya and his wife. While the ELRC ruled against him, a criminal case involving the same incidents has been provisionally withdrawn in the Richards Bay regional court. The KwaZulu-Natal education department warned parents against sending their children to Sibaya’s facilities after he was dismissed as a teacher. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chris Makhaye at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)
KZN health faces backlash from unions over disciplinary action following Northdale hospital power outage The Mercury reports that health worker unions have accused the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Health of attempting to use frontline staff as scapegoats after kitchen staff at Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg cooked food on an open fire last week during a power outage at the hospital. MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane announced disciplinary action against hospital staff who had cooked the food outside as she said this was against regulations. However the Public Servants Association (PSA) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) slammed the department’s response. Nehawu’s Ntokozo Nxumalo stated that workers should not be blamed for failures rooted in Northdale Hospital’s ageing infrastructure. “We were disturbed and surprised by the statement from the department and the MEC’s office regarding disciplinary processes. These disciplinary measures are just (an attempt to) scapegoat. They are trying to run away from taking responsibility for the poor infrastructure at that hospital. Now they are shifting the blame onto workers,” Nxumalohe claimed. PSA provincial manager Mlungisi Ndlovu echoed those sentiments and said that healthcare workers were not to blame for systemic failures. Simelane explained that that although all three backup generators initially activated during the power failure, one later malfunctioned, affecting sections of the hospital including the kitchen. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphesihle Buthelezi| at The Mercury
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