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Daily Podcast – August 16, 2018

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Daily Podcast – August 16, 2018

Daily Podcast – August 16, 2018

16th August 2018

By: Thabi Shomolekae
Creamer Media Senior Writer

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For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines: ANC to remember Marikana tragedy six years on; Sassa reports progress in grant payments; And, Numsa rejects Eskom disciplinary action proposal against striking workers

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ANC to remember Marikana tragedy six years on

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As the country remembers the Marikana massacre today, the African National Congress (ANC) said it was committed to ensuring that the tragedy was not repeated.

Many are expected to remember the 34 mineworkers shot dead by police during a protest for better wages. Most of the miners were shot in the back.

The illegal strike began on August 12, 2012, and in the days leading up to August 16, that year, ten people had already been killed. By the end of the strike, the death toll had risen to 44.

The ANC called on action to be taken following the tragedy, saying government must move with urgency to implement the recommendations by the Farlam Commission and, particularly, pay attention to interventions aimed at alleviating the plight of the affected families.

 

Sassa reports progress in grant payments

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) yesterday said that there were no major challenges experienced in August payments to beneficiaries compared with July.

Sassa briefed Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Social Development on the progress made on the implementation of the Constitutional Court judgment in March, to allow Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) to continue distributing social grants by another six months to beneficiaries who receive their grants in cash.

The presentation on the briefing included an update on the progress that has been achieved by Sassa with payments to beneficiaries from April to August. The committee was informed that Sassa has reduced the number of beneficiaries paid by CPS.

Around 17-million South Africans are beneficiaries of State grants that include child support, dependency and foster child care. About 2.8-million beneficiaries receive their grants in cash.

 

And, Numsa rejects Eskom disciplinary action proposal against striking workers

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has rejected Eskom's proposal to institute disciplinary action against workers who participated in industrial action during protracted wage negotiations, on the grounds that the power utility is an essential service. 

Yesterday, Eskom declared a dispute with trade unions Numsa, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Solidarity over a precondition for the wage talks that the State-owned electricity company should not punish employees who took part in the July/August unprotected strike. Eskom has referred the dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

In a statement, Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said Eskom's position was not only provocative but consistently undermined unions, adding that the utility's leadership, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Energy Minister Jeff Radebe had not taken their request for an urgent meeting seriously.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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