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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Gauteng health boss Lesiba Arnold Malotana suspended over Tembisa hospital looting BusinessLive reports that on Tuesday Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi placed the head of the provincial health department, Lesiba Arnold Malotana, on suspension with immediate effect. Malotana has become the first casualty of the Tembisa Hospital corruption uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that saw at least three syndicates and several smaller groups systemically looting procurement budgets by converting purchase orders and service contracts into steady revenue streams for private intermediaries and compliant officials. Whistle-blower Babita Deokaran was assassinated in August 2021 after sounding the alarm about corruption at the hospital. In a statement on Tuesday, the Gauteng provincial government reaffirmed its full support for the work of the SIU and other law-enforcement agencies. Lesufi has appointed Dr Darion Barclay, who currently leads the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs, as the acting health departmental head. Meanwhile, the SIU investigation identified at least 207 service providers that traded with Tembisa Hospital and it has so far referred 108 matters to the provincial health department for administrative and disciplinary action. The SIU has also compiled evidence that R122m in corrupt payments flowed to officials. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive. Read too, Analyst says suspended Gauteng Health HOD ‘was an inappropriate appointment’, at EWN. En ook, Hoof van Gautengse gesondheidsdepartement geskors, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Bakkie driver flees after running over Middelburg traffic officer, killing him SowetanLive reports that a bakkie driver is on the run after failing to stop while being flagged by a traffic officer and driving over him instead. He left his vehicle at the scene and fled on foot, said Moeti Mmusi, spokesperson for the Mpumalanga department of community safety, security and liaison. The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning on the N4 in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. Mmusi reported that Joseph Mtselu, principal provincial inspector attached to Overload Control in Middelburg, was on duty with a colleague when he flagged down a bakkie that was pulling a heavily loaded trailer near the Middelburg weighbridge. “It is alleged that the bakkie did not stop and hit him. The driver reportedly drove away and (then) allegedly fled the scene on foot. The officer died at the scene. A case of culpable homicide has been opened, and the driver is still at large. Police are searching for the suspect, and an investigation is under way. We suspected that the motorist may have been speeding,” Mmusi said. Jackie Macie, MEC for community safety, security and liaison, encouraged traffic law enforcement officers to be more vigilant when on the road. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Botho Molosankwe at SowetanLive. Lees ook, Verkeersman sterf toe bakkie hom op N4 tref, by Maroela Media City Power condemns attacks on officers and warns of deadly illegal connections The Citizen reports that City Power has condemned violent attacks on its security personnel and acts of vandalism of its infrastructure and has warned of the deadly consequences of illegal electricity connections across Johannesburg. The power utility said it was “outraged and deeply concerned” following two incidents earlier this month in which its employees were attacked while on duty. In the latest incident last Friday, armed suspects broke into the Alexandra substation after damaging the perimeter fence and cutting through wiring. They overpowered two on-duty security officers, tied them up and stole their protective gear and electronic devices. “Fortunately, a Tactical Security Service patrol vehicle arrived just in time, forcing the suspects to flee before more harm could be done,” City Power reported. The two officers sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment. They are now recovering. City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava said they were working closely with law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Oratile Mashilo at The Citizen Three suspects arrested for Joburg police officer’s murder SABC News reports that police in Gauteng have arrested three alleged cop murderers in Berea, Selby and Eloff Extension, respectively, in Johannesburg. It is alleged that on the day of the fatal incident, the deceased, Warrant Officer Jabulani Mabuza, and his girlfriend had a mechanical failure in their vehicle at the Benrose West on-ramp when they were attacked by a group of armed men. Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale reported that just as the tow truck driver arrived to assist with the vehicle, they were accosted by unknown suspects who pointed a firearm at them, disarmed the driver, and shot Mabuza. The suspects went to the other side of the vehicle and pulled out Mabuza, but while they did so, the tow truck driver managed to flee to his truck and drive to the Jeppe Police Station for assistance. The suspects are also linked to an attempted murder and armed robbery that occurred last month in Benrose, Johannesburg. The trio is expected to appear soon in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of ammunition, and possession of suspected stolen property. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Private security costing R1.8m a year arranged for ex-RAF CEO despite no threats against him EWN reports that the former security head at the Road Accident Fund (RAF) has told MPs on Tuesday that personal security was arranged for former CEO Collins Letsoalo despite the police determining that there was no threat against his life. Matome Lehomo, the first witness at the inquiry of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) into governance failures at the fund, has put the cost of this security, which included two personal protectors, a driver and a hired vehicle, at around R1.8 million a year. According to Lehomo, this was four times the amount approved by the board. The Scopa inquiry, which began formal hearings on 7 October 2025, is examining the RAF’s governance, procurement and financial management over a five-year period. Testifying in tandem at the inquiry were the RAF’s former national security manager, Matome Lehomo, and former manager for physical security, Muntu Mhlanga. They claimed they were both dismissed under dubious circumstances after being sidelined from security matters at the fund when Letsoalo was appointed as RAF CEO in 2020. Lehomo said the SA Police Service conducted a threat assessment on Letsoalo at the time. "In terms of this report that they issued, the indication was that there is no direct threat against the former RAF chief executive officer," he said. But Lehomo said he was instructed to obtain a private security assessment after Letsoalo’s car was broken into in Pretoria. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN. Read too, Ex-RAF CEO accused of splurging R150,000 a month on luxury car and private security, at SowetanLive. And also, RAF executives allege board bypass and R1.8m CEO security spend in Scopa inquiry, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Strike by hostel staff leaves more than 150 boarding pupils with disabilities out of school for six weeks News24 reports that more than 150 pupils with severe intellectual disabilities have missed school for almost a month and a half because of a strike by the hostel staff. Boarding pupils from Estralita School in Mashishing, Mpumalanga, including those with epilepsy, cerebral palsy and autism, have not had any lessons since 1 September, but had hoped to return to class on Monday when schools reopened for the fourth term. But, the school’s management and governing body informed parents on Friday that the hostel and kitchen situation was still being addressed at the provincial level and that no resolution had been communicated to them. Parents whose children live in the hostel were advised not to send them to school on Monday, while day scholars, who were encouraged to return, were informed that “curriculum delivery will continue”. Mpumalanga education department spokesperson Jasper Zwane said the department was aware of the situation at the school, “where staff have, among other matters, raised concerns regarding late-hour working allowances”. According to Zwane, the department has established a dedicated task team to investigate the modalities and feasibility of the workers’ demands. “To ensure the safety and well-being of learners, the school hostel remains temporarily closed. The department acknowledges the seriousness of this matter, particularly as it affects learners who require specialised care and support,” Zwane indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Fort Hare Vice-Chancellor refuses to quit as R500m protest damage rocks the university News24 reports that University of Fort Hare (UFH) Vice-Chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu says he is not going anywhere, despite that violent protests demanding his removal have caused mayhem and have cost the institution up to R500 million in damages. “I still have a job to do. Those who want me to go will have to wait until my contract expires. It expires in January 2027,” he asserted. Scenes of violent protests at the university last week led management to order a temporary shutdown of operations after students torched several buildings. The chief demand of protesting students was for Buhlungu to step down, with the students accusing him of being complacent about allegations of mismanagement at the institution. Protests demanding Buhlungu’s removal were first held on his 65th birthday, 12 September, and escalated into violence last week. Buhlungu, who has been the university’s accounting officer since February 2017, had his term extended in 2021 when it was decided that he would serve in that position until he reached the age of 65. In June last year, the council recommended the extension of Buhlungu’s term by 16 months when he reached his retirement age of 65. Student leaders claimed the decision by the university council to extend the term beyond the retirement age was unlawful, an allegation the council has denied. Buhlungu has dismissed allegations of mismanagement and said the protests were orchestrated by people opposed to his bid to rid the university of instances of fraud and corruption. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
ArcelorMittal M&A head holds talks in SA over sale of local unit Bloomberg reports that ArcelorMittal’s head of mergers and acquisitions, Ondra Otradovec, is holding talks in SA with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) about the sale of the steelmaker’s local unit. The executive’s presence in SA is said to be a sign that the discussions between the Luxembourg-based steelmaker and the IDC have accelerated. The IDC last month concluded a due-diligence study of ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa). It is reportedly working with financial advisers on a possible bid of about R8.5-billion for the unit, inclusive of its current debt. In November 2023, Amsa announced it planned to shut two steel mills that produce grades that are crucial to the country’s key automotive and mining industries. The IDC, which at about 8% is the biggest shareholder in Amsa after its parent, has been in talks with Arcelor and the DTIC about staving off the closure and has extended loans to the steelmaker to keep it open. The two mills in Newcastle and Vereeniging employ about 3,500 people, while about 100,000 more work at their suppliers or customers. Amsa has attributed its decision to close the steel mills to high power prices, erratic rail service, low-priced imports and government policy that gives local competitors a discount on their steel scrap raw material. Read the full original of the report in the above regard Antony Sguazzin & Loni Prinsloo at Moneyweb
CFOs at SA companies getting much bigger pay bumps than CEOs, PwC report finds News24 reports that boosts from variable incentive structures helped grow the total guaranteed pay of the financial directors of the JSE’s top 200 companies by almost a fifth in 2025. This is according to PwC’s 2025 Directors Remuneration and Trends Report, which also found that SA’s relatively smaller pool of female CFOs continued to out-earn their male counterparts. The report covers the year to end-February 2025. It found an 8% increase in CEO total remuneration to a median of about R22.3 million and a 19% climb in CFO total pay to a median of R12.6 million, with a structural shift towards more variable packages. The report also found that, after a zero wage gap between male and female CEOs in 2024, this climbed to 9% in 2025, with the smaller number of female CEOs making this number “sensitive”, PwC said. The premium paid to female CFOs, however, slipped to 11% from 12%. The number of female CEOs remained steady at 8%, though the proportion of female CFOs climbed to 25% from 18%. African, coloured and Indian/Asian representation at the CEO level remained low, with a combined representation of 20% (African: 15%, coloured: 2%, and Indian/Asian: 3%), up from 19%. African, coloured and Indian/Asian CFO representation was marginally higher than at CEO level, with a combined 28% (African: 12%, coloured: 4%, and Indian/Asian: 12%), up from 27%. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karl Gernetzky at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Solidarity ‘deeply concerned’ about Gauteng education department’s plan to cut many teaching posts Maroela Media reports that trade union Solidarity issued a statement on Tuesday in which it noted “with deep concern” the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE’s) intention to proceed with large-scale job cuts at schools in the province. Apparently, primary schools in particular will be affected, with a reduced departmental budget cited as the reason. According to Johan Botha, head of the Solidarity Teachers’ Network, this unilateral budget adjustment threatens teachers’ job security and will place school budgets under immense pressure. “If jobs are cut by the department, the pressure shifts to the school’s governing body, and ultimately to parents when increased school fees become the only option. Implementing such cuts at this point could seriously disrupt schools’ budgeting processes for the coming year,” said Botha. He went on to indicate: “Of course, teachers’ careers are at stake and it must be remembered that a teacher’s job affects not only the teacher, but also the education of roughly 35 learners in a classroom.” According to available information, schools face the potential loss of between two and seven posts and several schools in the province received communication to that effect on Tuesday. Given the serious consequences, Solidarity called on the department to carefully reconsider its decision. Read the full original of the Afrikaans report in the above regard at Maroela Media Seven provincial education departments fail to spend R150m in funding News24 reports that seven provincial education departments collectively failed to spend almost R150 million earmarked for, among other things, the school feeding scheme and provision of adequate infrastructure at Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres. Limpopo, one of the poorest provinces in the country, was the biggest culprit after it did not spend R69.7 million, which included conditional grants of R33.2 million for the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), R18.3 million for Maths, Science and Technology (MST), and R11.3 million for education infrastructure. Only the Western Cape and the Northern Cape education departments spent 100% of their conditional grant funds. In a separate development, five provincial education departments had to surrender R92.2 million in unspent conditional grants to the National Revenue Fund, including R53 million by the Gauteng Department of Education, after the amount was not approved for rollover. Five provinces, including the Free State, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, underspent their HIV and Aids conditional grant by R6.9 million. “It is distressing as the R150 million in unspent funds could have been used to build and renovate classrooms, provide millions of nutritious meals to hungry children, and supply schools with essential science equipment and textbooks,” said Professor Mbulungeni Madiba, the dean of education at Stellenbosch University. UKZN academic, Professor Vimolan Mudaly, commented: “No justification can adequately explain the incompetence of not utilising allocated budgets. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Senior Maruleng official arrested for fraud allegedly committed in 2015 at Ba-Phalaborwa municipality SABC News reports that a senior official employed at Maruleng Municipality in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, has been arrested by the Hawks for alleged fraud and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act. Hawks Spokesperson Lethunya Mmuroa said the alleged fraudulent activities were committed in 2015 when the suspect was an acting municipal manager in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. According to Mmuroa, the suspect allegedly paid more than R700,000 to a service provider who did not do any work. The suspect is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Michael Makungo at SABC News
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