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.
|
Suicide plagues SA's cops and first responders Saturday Star reports that the enormous pressure on police, ambulance workers and firefighters hammers their mental health, with a recent survey showing that 47.3% of them were depressed, 37.8% had generalised anxiety disorder, and 48.5% has PTSD. Experts warn that the mental health crisis among first responders, including police, paramedics, emergency room nurses and doctors, and firefighters, has reached breaking point. “This is a national emergency hidden in plain sight,” said Dr Alicia Porter of the SA Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP). She said workers on the frontline of responding to crime, domestic violence, large-scale road accidents, medical emergencies and natural disasters were disproportionately susceptible to burnout, depression and suicide. “The problem is that they may have pre-existing mental health conditions, but the nature of the work is very unique because their very work environment is actually exposing them to repeated trauma,” Porter pointed out. The figures are chilling, namely one police suicide every week amounting to 300 in the past seven years and 54 in the 2024/25 reporting period. Porter believes that managers and supervisors should be trained to recognise warning signs, fast-track help, and promote mental wellness. The SA Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) reports a sharp increase in calls from first responders and their families. Foster Mohale from the National Department of Health said all employees in the department, including EMS personnel, have access to provincial programmes as determined by each province. “This includes wellness response teams, access to chaplains, and health care professionals as needed,” he advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Anita Nkonki and Wendy Jasson Da Costaat at Satursday Star. Lees ook, DA waarsku oor selfdoodkrisis onder polisiebeamptes, by Maroela Media
Miracle as instructor and student survive light aircraft crash into school tuckshop in Alberton The Star reports that on Sunday afternoon, two people miraculously survived a light aircraft crash in Alberton, Gauteng. According to the City of Ekurhuleni, an instructor and student encountered engine failure while conducting a final evaluation flight test for a private pilot's license. They were forced to make an emergency landing at the Hoërskool Alberton rugby field and crashed into the school's tuckshop. Spokesperson Tikkie MacDonald reported: "Firefighters from the City of Ekurhuleni were immediately dispatched to the scene. The instructor and student were conducting a final evaluation flight test for a private pilot license when they experienced engine failure, necessitating an emergency landing on the school's rugby field. Fortunately, both the instructor and student escaped uninjured. The incident has been reported to the Civil Aviation Authorities and is currently under investigation." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Xolile Mtembu at The Star Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Cartrack forces staff to walk up stairs, enforces silent zones at its new Rosebank premises TimesLIVE reports that vehicle tracking company Cartrack has come under scrutiny after current and former employees said they were banned from using elevators and forced to take the stairs. Moreover, silent zones are enforced and cellphone use is not allowed on office floors, with policy requiring that the devices must be placed in lockers. This is complained about in several social media posts about working conditions at the company’s headquarters in Rosebank, Joburg. In response, Cartrack said its intent was to create “a safe, respectful and health-conscious workplace” and added that its HR team had not received complaints. Some of the social media posts included the following: “The owner has created a downright abusive environment. Employees are forbidden from using the elevators, even if they are injured,” and “Employees have to take the stairs every day and are not allowed to speak while doing so. There are people stationed near the stairwells with warning forms, ready to discipline anyone who says as much as ‘hello’”. Cartrack said its Rosebank office block was rebuilt recently according to the design of a leading architect as a “walking building” to promote a healthy and efficient workplace. It added: “To ensure smooth movement across our floors and support a healthy working environment, all management and staff are expected to use the stairs. To prevent echoing through the building and contact centres, we have designated the staircases as silent zones.” Employees with medical conditions, injuries or pregnancies are given special concessions. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa at TimesLIVE. Read too, Top South African company denies allegations of ruthless workplace rules, at Newsday
R3.6 billion Beachwood Coastal Estate launched by eThekwini Mayor, set to create thousands of jobs IOL News reports that Durban North is set for a major transformation with the launch of the R3.6 billion Beachwood Coastal Estate – a landmark development that promises to reshape the city’s skyline and boost its investment appeal. Officially unveiled by eThekwini Mayor, Councillor Cyril Xaba on Friday, the project marks a significant milestone in the city’s ongoing drive to attract large-scale investment and stimulate job creation. The launch event was attended by key provincial and business leaders. Describing the initiative as a “historic milestone and catalytic project,” Mayor Xaba said the development was the outcome of what could be achieved through government and private sector collaboration. Beachwood Coastal Estate forms part of eThekwini’s R217 billion portfolio of catalytic projects scheduled for rollout over the next five years. Designed with sustainability at its core, the estate will offer eco-conscious living through freehold stands, luxurious drive-up apartments, and opulent duplexes. The development is projected to create 1,500 temporary jobs during construction and sustain 2,500 permanent positions once operational, a significant boost for the local economy. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sarene Kloren at IOL News Unemployed Capetonians, who question the point of filling out jobseekers forms, march for jobs GroundUp reports that about 70 people marched up Vrygrond Avenue in Cape Town on Friday to highlight their need for jobs, safety, and basic services. Under the Back To Work Campaign (B2WC), the protesters, who were mostly from Xakabantu informal settlement, marched to the corner of Vrygrond Avenue and Prince George Drive. Before the march, residents aired their grievances during a dialogue held at a community centre in Vrygrond. Many residents at the dialogue filled out the City of Cape Town’s jobseekers’ forms that were being handed out so that they could be added to the City’s database for when opportunities become available. But, one resident said: “I don’t see the point of these forms anymore. I have lost count of how many of these forms I have filled out and submitted, but here I am still an unemployed mother of three.” Some residents alleged that people were using bribes to get jobs. In their memorandums, one addressed to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and the other to the SA Police Service (SAPS), the residents complained that only a small fraction of the Vrygrond community were employed under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), and the EPWP did not provide job security because contracts were short term. The community has vowed to continue marching and protesting in the coming weeks until they are heard and acknowledged. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mary-Anne Gontsana at GroundUp SA sitting on ticking time bomb unless firms absorb graduates Sunday World reports that the government has warned that SA is “sitting on a ticking time bomb” unless the private sector opens its doors wider to graduates through expanded internship opportunities. Speaking at a gala dinner hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in Joburg on Wednesday, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) Deputy Minister Dr Nomalungelo Gina said graduate unemployment had become a national emergency threatening social and economic stability. “We need every employer in the private sector, municipalities and state-owned enterprises to double their absorption of young graduates each year. The future of our country depends on it,” Gina said. SA is currently grappling with a 45.5% official youth unemployment rate, rising to 62.1% under the expanded definition. Since its inception in 2005, the DSTI Graduate Internship Programme, implemented through the HSRC, has placed over 7,600 graduates in research and technical positions across more than 200 institutions, including universities, science councils and private companies. The programme, now marking its 20th year, has a strong transformation record, with 91% of interns black, 68% women, and 2% persons living with disabilities. According to Gina, many have gone on to secure permanent posts or launch start-ups. She said the internship model demonstrated that targeted workplace exposure could convert “idle qualifications into income-generating skills” and urged the business community to view internships as investments, not costs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane on page 10 of Sunday World of 26 October 2025 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
After Amapanyaza declared unlawful by Public Protector, 6,000 wardens face uncertain future City Press reports that the ambitious crime-fighting programme that saw Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi deploy 6,000 “crime prevention wardens (CPWs)” across the province has been declared unconstitutional by Public Protector (PP) Kholeka Gcaleka. She found that the premier “painted outside the lines of the law” in a damning report that exposed widespread governance failures. According to the PP, the entire R172.8 million programme was established and operated without any legal authority, effectively rendering every arrest, search and criminal procedure conducted by the wardens potentially inadmissible in court. The report revealed that “a total of 6 000 CPWs were recruited, with multiple cohorts undergoing varying stages of training and deployment”. These individuals, many of whom likely saw the programme as a pathway to stable employment in public service, now face an uncertain future. The wardens are currently being “trained as traffic wardens under section 3A of the National Road Traffic Act”, according to the findings, which represents a significant shift from their original crime-fighting mandate. The report noted that “payment to the CPWs for their trainee roles has thus far been funded from the provincial budget”, but the long-term sustainability of this arrangement is unclear. The personal impact on these families extends beyond mere employment concerns. As the PP observed, “the wardens and their families risk facing emotional and financial instability due to the precarious nature of their roles”. Last Wednesday, Lesufi announced the disbandment of the Gauteng traffic wardens in their current format. He said the wardens would now be repurposed and integrated into professional law enforcement structures across the province. Read the full original of the extensive report in the above regard by Yamkeleka Manjeya at City Press (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
SARB’s Kganyago makes case for 3% consumer inflation target Business Times reports that the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) has set out its strongest case yet for moving toward a 3% consumer inflation target. It released a series of technical stress tests in its October monetary policy review that show the economy is now capable of sustaining lower, more stable price growth. The review comes just three weeks before the medium-term budget, in which some market participants expect finance minister Enoch Godongwana to announce the shift toward a lower inflation target. SARB governor Lesetja Kganyago indicated that he “would not understand” if the government continued to plan fiscally on 4.5%, the midpoint of the current target range, because “it is not what the inflation target is; it is what the inflation outcomes are.” He also noted that inflation over the forecast horizon was already tracking close to the Bank’s 3% objective. Kganyago opined that, together, the stress tests made the case that SA’s inflation process was now stable enough, statistically and psychologically, to support a 3% target. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jana Marx at Business Times (subscriber access only)
City of Joburg withdraws report recommending Floyd Brink for city manager's job EWN reports that the City of Johannesburg remains without a city manager after the municipal council withdrew a report recommending Floyd Brink’s appointment to the role. Council was expected to debate the proposal for Brink’s reappointment on Thursday, but the matter was removed from the agenda. Brink has been ousted from the position twice before, after the courts ruled that his 2023 and 2024 appointments were irregular. A selection panel that recently interviewed ten candidates for the post had once again recommended Brink for the position. Apparently, the ANC is divided over whether Brink should be reappointed as the city manager. Some factions within the ANC are said to be pushing or former Joburg Property Company CEO Helen Botes to take up the role instead. Council is expected to meet next week to further discuss the appointment of a new city manager. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alpha Ramushwana at EWN. Read too, Eight months later, search Joburg city manager hits another dead end, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). And also, ANC national leaders block Floyd Brink’s reappointment as Joburg city manager, at City Press (subscription / trial registration required)
Unisa Enterprise crumbles amid unpaid salaries, lost contract The Citizen reports that the commercial arm of the University of SA (Unisa), Unisa Enterprise (UE), has reportedly been kicked out of its rented offices at Waterfall Office Park in Midrand due to a R3-million rental debt. According to sources, Unisa has refused to bail out the company any further because it has already pumped R70 million into the enterprise, with little to show for it. The university also reportedly stripped the company of a catering contract after workers at Unisa Catering Services were not paid and went on strike. UE’s CEO, Lesetsa Matshekga, reportedly told staff in a memorandum, sent out on Wednesday, that “…we will vacate the premises at the end of this month. Staff will work remotely until we secure an alternative, suitable and cost-effective office.” This comes against the backdrop of desperate staff making an impassioned plea to the university’s management committee to intervene after months of salary payment delays. In July, employees expressed frustration over alleged recurring and poorly communicated delays in salary payments for May, June and July. Staff members have called on the university to directly assume the responsibility of salary payments and to consider relocating the offices of UE to the university premises to reduce rental costs. But, the university has seemingly washed its hands of the company, saying: “Unisa Enterprise is an autonomous entity that operates independently of Unisa.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Bail ruling reserved in Eastern Cape deputy principal’s human trafficking case SABC News reports that a ruling was reserved until Monday in the bail application of a 52-year-old deputy school principal from the Eastern Cape, who is accused of human trafficking and forcing young girls into prostitution. On Friday, the East London Magistrate’s Court heard the closing arguments from both the defence and the state. The court also heard that the accused, Vuyokazi Gana, could increase her bail amount from R5,000 to R20,000 should she be granted bail. The state opposed bail, arguing that Gana was not a suitable bail candidate due to the seriousness of the charges she faced. State prosecutor Advocate Lifa Matyobeni stated: “On the basis that each of the charges carries a minimum sentence of 15 years or life if convicted. On those grounds and on the basis thereof of it is the respectful submission by the state that the accused has failed to discharge the onus that the accused gets bail.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News
Claims and counter-claims over suspension of uMngeni-uThukela Water executive to be heard in court on Monday TimesLIVE reports that according to the CEO of uMngeni-uThukela Water, Sandile Khoza, disciplinary proceedings against suspended executive Sibusiso Madonsela should be allowed to take their natural course. Khoza has filed an affidavit opposing an urgent application, set down to be argued in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday. Madonsela was suspended a year after he refused to “okay” an expensive “sponsorship” for a colleague, Zandile Mhlongo, to run the 2024 New York Marathon. But Khoza then approved the trip, which, according to reports, cost more than R125,000 for her first-class flights and more than R77,000 for her accommodation at a hotel on Times Square. Madonsela declined to authorise the sponsorship application in October last year. A year later, he was given a notice of intent to suspend him and a day later frog-marched out of the office. Madonsela claims the charges against him are ill-founded, trumped up and part of a campaign by Khoza to get rid of him. He says as part of this campaign, most of his duties had been removed, and he has been sitting idly in his office, doing very little for months. According to Madonsela, the very decision to consider suspending him based on a year-old event was itself irrational as it was an abuse of power. He said Khoza has still not explained why it took a year to act against him. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at TimesLIVE (subscriber access only)
Suspended ‘high-risk’ Gauteng health head alleged to have received ATM deposits linked to Tembisa Hospital looting Sunday Times reports that a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report has found that suspended Gauteng health head of department (HOD) Lesiba Malotana benefitted to the tune of R1.6m in questionable ATM cash deposits, suspected to be linked to the R1.8bn looting at Tembisa Hospital. The lifestyle audit report by the SIU describes Malotana as a “high-risk” individual and requests a special proclamation for a deeper forensic investigation into his financial affairs. Malotana was suspended recently by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi after he received the report, which was part of a widescale lifestyle audit of the provincial government’s senior officials. According to the report – attached as an annexure to a letter by Malotana’s lawyers to Lesufi, challenging his suspension – the SIU found he had pocketed questionable financial benefits of R1.6m in cash transactions over a period of three years. The SIU also raised concerns about Malotana’s six dubious bank accounts, some of which were not disclosed to the department. It is into these bank accounts that cash deposits – some as large as R300,000 – were made, at various ATMs across Gauteng. According to the SIU, Malotana claimed these were business transactions linked to his “egg farming business” in Limpopo, but could not explain why all the deposits were made in Gauteng. According to the report, an amount of R1,627,300 in cash deposits was traced across several bank accounts from commercial activities that could not be reconciled with Malotana’s salary. Approached for comment on Friday, Malotana said he was challenging his suspension in the high court on an urgent basis. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kgothatso Madisa at Sunday Times (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page