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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Old Mutual pushes for overhaul of SA’s pensions industry and introduction of collective defined contribution schemes BL Premium reports that insurer Old Mutual is pushing for an overhaul of SA’s pension regime and has called on authorities to follow the UK’s route in ensuring better retirement outcomes for retirees. Industry data shows that only 6% of retirement fund members are on course to retire comfortably. According to Old Mutual’s Fred van der Vyver, it was time for SA to transition to collective defined contribution (CDC) schemes to protect employees’ retirement security. He argued that the current dominant system in the market, the defined contribution pension system, was “fundamentally unfit” for today’s world. CDC schemes, introduced into the UK in 2021, are seen as a bridge between defined benefits (DB) and defined contribution (DC) schemes. Fund members and employers make fixed contributions into a collective fund, and these schemes then pool together funds with other members. “CDC offers a more predictable outcome. It ensures that your income in retirement better reflects your lifetime of contributions — not the mood of the market when you exit the workforce,” Van der Vyver pointed out. According to data from Old Mutual, CDC schemes have the potential to deliver up to 30% higher retirement incomes than standard DC arrangements. In a bid to try to improve pension outcomes, SA last year implemented the two-pot retirement system. Van der Vyver said further reforms were needed, and that an overhaul was urgent. “The longer we delay structural changes to deliver more consistent outcomes, the more we undermine public trust in retirement saving. We must build a system that rewards long-term commitment and protects people from forces they can’t control. The current model simply doesn’t yet deliver that,” he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Cash in transit officer critically injured in brazen robbery attempt in Verulam on Wednesday Daily News reports that a shocking incident unfolded in the Verulam CBD on Wednesday when a cash-in-transit (CIT) officer was critically injured during an attempted robbery on George Sewpersad Street. The officer was shot in the face. According to reports, a group of four armed suspects, travelling in a silver VW Polo, targeted the cash officer with the intention of robbing the vehicle. Eyewitness accounts described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted, prompting locals to rush to the area, leading to the suspects abandoning their robbery. In a bid to flee the scene, the assailants attempted to accost a second cash officer who was present and tried to snatch a bag of cash. However, the quick-thinking officer managed to secure the armoured vehicle by shutting its door just in time, thwarting the suspects' efforts and preventing further potential loss. By 12:44 PM, paramedics were on-site, working to stabilise the injured officer before he was expected to be airlifted to a medical facility. The disturbing events showcase the risks faced by CIT officers, who are regularly targeted for their valuable cargo. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Daily News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Fedsas appeals to Sadtu KZN to reconsider as union asks members to stop conducting extra classes News24 reports that the Federation of Governing Bodies of SA chools (Fedsas) has appealed to the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to reconsider its move to prevent members from offering extra classes to pupils. This after the secretariat of the union resolved that members must focus on seven hours of classroom teaching daily and that “no extra classes be conducted”. In a statement issued on Monday, Sadtu’s Nomarashiya Caluza pointed out that teachers were not paid for extra classes and the approved school calendar “did not mention extra classes”. Sadtu said that despite engagements and repeated commitments, the provincial Department of Education (DoE) consistently failed to address the many issues raised, including failure to pay acting allowances to teachers, failure to appoint substitute teachers, thereby undermining existing education policies, non-payment of service providers that supplied schools with stationery in January, non-payment of Grade R practitioners in April and others. Thirona Moodley of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA in KZN endorsed Sadtu’s statement, saying it accurately reflected “a dysfunctional province”. However, Fedsas CEO Jaco Deacon appealed to Sadtu to reconsider its stance as the battle was not with pupils in schools but against the DoE’s poor administration. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). Read too, Sadtu intensifies ‘Work to Rule’ protest, at The Witness
Worker killed at Harmony’s Joel mine in the Free State on Wednesday TimesLIVE reports that a worker was killed in a fall of ground accident at Harmony Gold's Joel mine in Free State on Wednesday. The company said all relevant authorities, family members and colleagues had been informed and no working area would be accessed unless it has been declared safe. It added that it was devastated by another loss of life. According to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), this was the eleventh fatality at Harmony mines this year, bringing the total fatalities in the SA mining industry to 25. “Eleven fatalities point directly to the company’s failure to provide conditions that are safe for the operation to take place,” Amcu said. Thursday has been declared a day of safety across all Harmony’s South African operations for engagement with the company’s employees and stakeholders and for reflection on the company’s safety practices at each of its mines. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE Family of slain Riverlea man calls for action against illegal miners SABC News reports that the wife of a man who was killed during a shootout between police and suspected illegal miners (zama zamas) on Tuesday night at the Zamimpilo informal settlement near Riverlea, Johannesburg, has called on government to bring an end to zama zamas. His body was found early on Wednesday morning. The informal settlement is riddled with crime and gang-related violence among illegal miners. Despite multiple raids by law enforcement officials, zama zamas continue to operate in that area. The victim’s wife Martha Lotters reacted: “Innocent people are dying in these shootings of the zama zamas. Look at what happened to my husband now. He came from his work and he got shot and killed. People are dying unnecessarily. Government must take steps and deport these people. Government must root these people out and send them back.” The deceased’s daughter Ronnel Lottering said he would be dearly missed and that they were very emotional and traumatised. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News. Read too, Residents Riverlea plead for demolition of ‘dangerous’ informal settlement after deadly shootout, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). And also, Government condemns shooting after man was killed during gunfight between police and illegal miners in Riverlea, at IOL News
Parliament’s finance committee urges expanded zero-rated food basket BL Premium reports that Parliament’s finance committee has urged the National Treasury to consider expanding the VAT zero-rated basket, as well as a differentiated approach to its tax proposals, to protect low- and middle-income households. These recommendations were included in the report on the fiscal framework and revenue proposals adopted by the committee on Wednesday. The fiscal framework includes the National Treasury’s revenue, expenditure and fiscal strategy over the next three years. In its previous, rejected iterations of the budget and in order to mitigate the effects of its proposed VAT increase on the poor, the National Treasury had proposed increasing the basket of zero-rated VAT food items to include canned vegetables, dairy liquid blends and offal. When a proposed VAT increase was withdrawn, the proposed expansion of the zero-rated basket was also withdrawn. The committee noted in its report the revenue forgone by withdrawing the proposed zero-rated items was only R2bn and proposed that the Treasury should consider expanding the basket. The budget tabled by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana two weeks ago did not adjust personal income tax brackets for inflation. The committee recommended that the National Treasury should assesses the equity implications of salary increases pushing taxpayers into a higher tax bracket. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Government’s new labour migration policy plans a charm offensive to lure skilled migrants and expats BL Premium at SA plans to launch an “aggressive” recruitment campaign targeting skilled foreign professionals, inclusive of potential subsidies for immigration costs, in the hope of reversing the brain drain and reviving key sectors. Another element in the Department of Employment & Labour’s (DEL’s) plan to grow SA’s skills base is a charm offensive to lure back experienced expats, who have sought greener pastures elsewhere. The plan, published in the country’s first national labour migration policy, proposes aggressive recruitment among the diaspora and foreign professionals in critically affected sectors and professions, with complementing standard work visa applications. The DEL, in co-ordination with the department of international relations & co-operation, and in consultation and collaboration with employers’ organisations, will explore several measures to attract skilled foreign nationals. These would include job adverts relayed by embassies, facilitation of job fairs abroad, subsidisation of immigration costs and the fast-tracking of immigration procedures. But, the government’s proposals are likely to be hotly debated. Its cheerleaders are likely to argue that courting skilled foreign professionals and coaxing seasoned expatriates back home with subsidised immigration costs will plug talent gaps in an economy that has hardly grown in more than a decade. Critics might caution that this approach could further sideline local workers amid an unemployment rate of nearly 33%, raising thorny legal and constitutional questions about fairness. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
eThekwini Municipality grapples with severe staff shortages in water and sanitation units The Mercury reports that as the eThekwini Municipality battles to supply water to communities, it has emerged that more than half of the positions in the unit responsible for the delivery of water and sanitation to communities are vacant. The Auditor General of SA, Tsakani Maluleke, recently indicated that her office did not understand why eThekwini had such a high number of vacancies in this unit, considering its size, location, and the budget of the municipality. The municipality has close to 25,000 workers and a budget of more than R60 billion. The findings on vacancies in eThekwini have triggered concerns among councillors, as the municipality is facing a serious water crisis, with many communities affected by prolonged outages resulting from water leaks, ageing infrastructure, and vandalism of this critical infrastructure. ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango lamented that this is a serious issue: “We have been raising this issue on water and sanitation; hence, we (the city) cannot even deal with the issue of sanitation because there are no technical capabilities in the unit. It was proven when the municipality outsourced the function of looking after its (water treatment works) to uMngeni-uThukela Water.” Mdu Nkosi, chairperson of the Trading Services Committee, which oversees water and sanitation, said there would be an engagement between the city manager and officials in the water and sanitation unit to address the issues of vacancies raised by the AG. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thami Magubane at The Mercury
Private security regulatory authority says R129m in UIF-linked training fund ‘lost’ Daily Maverick reports that the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (Psira) has come under fire in Parliament over a 2019 training initiative involving more than R129-million that has led to red flags being raised over “irregularities” and non-delivery of services. MPs demanded to know why the situation had not been fully dealt with after six years. One suggested calling for suspensions with immediate effect because the overall situation was hampering young jobseekers. Another proposed that Psira’s board be relieved of its duties to make way for fresh faces. The matter involving a nearly R130-million contract linked to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) was discussed in a police portfolio committee meeting on Wednesday. Makashule Gana of Rise Mzansi asked Psira head Manebela Chauke about how much money had been recovered. Chauke responded: “So, the answer is we’ve not yet recovered anything.” A Psira presentation on the matter was shown at Wednesday’s meeting. It indicated that in April 2019 Psira had signed a “funding agreement” with the UIF to “implement a national training initiative.” Between October 2019 and February 2022, advance payments were made “to the appointed service provider before actual training begins as agreed and in compliance [with] Treasury regulations.” In March 2023, the Auditor-General of SA identified “a likely financial loss due to non-delivery of services and weak contract oversight”. A few months later, in August 2023, the project resumed and “the number of trained learners significantly” increased. After several other processes, a forensic report was finalised and submitted to the Auditor-General in March 2025. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Caryn Dolley at Daily Maverick
More than R140 million in salaries paid to suspended government employees in 2024/25 The Citizen reports that government paid more than R140 million in salaries to employees placed on precautionary suspension during the 2024/25 financial year. This was revealed by Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi during a question and answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Buthelezi said that as of the end of the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, national departments had paid R50,945,064 to suspended employees, while provincial departments had paid R90,469,562. Rise Mzansi’s Stanford Makashule Gana asked if Buthelezi’s department was considering attaching cost orders to managers who were ‘trigger happy’ and quick to suspend public servants who did not deserve to be suspended. “As a department, when it comes to managers who simply suspend employees willy-nilly, we have come up with a directive that says whenever there is an employee that is alleged to have committed a particular offence, instead of suspending that person and continuously get a salary, that person must be transferred to another department or unit,” Buthelezi responded. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lesego Seokwang at The Citizen. Read too, How many ghost workers are there in government? at Moneyweb Suspended Stellenbosch municipal director reaches exit deal with municipality amid misconduct claims News24 reports that Stellenbosch Local Municipality has reached a mutual separation agreement with its former director of corporate services, Annaleen de Beer, following serious allegations of misconduct, harassment, intimidation and victimisation. The municipality has confirmed that, following a disciplinary process and litigation, a “mutual agreement has been reached” to “part ways”. It indicated: “This decision was taken in the best interest of both parties. The separation came into effect at the end of May 2025.” In April, De Beer approached the Labour Court on an urgent basis to have her suspension lifted, but the court struck the matter off the roll, ruling it was not urgent. Her suspension was the result of a March council resolution adopted during a closed meeting, which placed her on precautionary suspension pending an investigation into serious allegations of misconduct. According to a 139-page confidential council agenda, De Beer faced two separate complaints. One relating to harassment, intimidation, and victimisation, and the other involving matters such as the rental renewal of a cellular tower at Mountain Breeze Caravan Park, bonus payments, and allegedly misleading information about a riding club. In the court papers, De Beer argued that her reputation was being unfairly damaged. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Knysna official arrested for allegedly selling municipal jobs The Herald reports that a Knysna municipal employee was arrested by the Hawks on Wednesday in an early morning raid. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) raided the municipal building and arrested the general assistant for allegedly selling municipal jobs. Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani advised the 41-year-old man was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. He indicated: “It is alleged that between September 2019 and November 2021, the suspect was paid an amount of R37,500 by two members of the public in exchange for employment at the Knysna municipality. The first victim paid an amount of R30,000 and the second one paid R7,500. The victims through the suspect’s [alleged] criminal activity suffered a loss in the amount of R37,500 and did not receive employment as promised.” In May 2024, residents marched to the Knysna municipal building, accusing several officials of nepotism and selling jobs. Hundreds of protesters handed over a memorandum of grievances. Early in 2025, residents once again marched to the municipal offices demanding an update on the investigation into their allegations. At the time, municipal manager Lulamile Mapholoba said they were waiting on the SAPS to provide the municipality with an update as the allegations had been handed over to the police. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphokazi Mnyobe at The Herald
Popcru to stage rolling pickets at SAPS academies in Gauteng against sexual victimisation SABC News reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) in Gauteng will be embarking on a series of rolling pickets at SA Police Service (SAPS) academies in the province. The pickets are in response to growing concerns around the reported sexual victimisation of vulnerable trainees. The union’s protests follow the arrest of a SAPS captain accused of raping a female trainee in March at the Training Academy in Pretoria West. Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said: “There has been an incident, which has widely been reported in the past weeks. So, the person is currently going through court processes – I think the next appearance is on the 9th. Our members throughout those court appearances have been there to support the trainee, who has been violated.” He went on to add: “So, we have picked up that clearly there’s a pattern, wherein some these things are happening within centres. We’ve picked that up and of course, as a union we are deeply concerned.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News
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