Minister Nomakhosazana Meth: First 100 days in office

Good day, distinguished members of the media, both in person and online and to fellow South Africans,

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the media for attending this session. You serve as an essential medium between the department and the clients we serve, and I deeply appreciate the time you have set aside to be here today. It would be thoughtless of me not to acknowledge your crucial role in education, information sharing, and holding us to account. Your contributions are invaluable, and for that, I thank you sincerely.

It is an honour and privilege to address you today regarding the Ministry of Employment and Labour's first 100 days. I am honoured to serve the nation in my capacity as Minister of Employment and Labour, together with the two Deputy Ministers, Ms Phumzile Mgcina and Mr Jomo Sibiya, following our appointment by His Excellency President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa.
It is important to note that for us, the first 100-day mark is not an endpoint but the beginning of many more initiatives to better serve our clients and the community at large and fulfil the mandate of job creation and protection of vulnerable workers.

This is a significant occasion, wherein we report on the first 100 days in office following the establishment of the ANC-led Government of National Unity (GNU) which is characterised by several principles such as transparency, accountability, integrity and good governance. These are the principles we have embraced as the Department as we embark on the execution of our strategic objectives. We are seized with a mammoth task of changing the trajectory of our economy into one that resonates with the resolve of the GNU to nudge actions that will advance the three priorities of the GNU which are:

• To drive inclusive economic growth and job creation, this is an apex of the three priorities speaking directly to our mandate;
• To reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living, and
• To build a capable, ethical and developmental state  

We hit the ground running with the deputy ministers, getting acquainted with the Department, strengthening cooperation with organised labour, organised business, social partners, and civil society, participating in all Parliamentary processes, and ensuring accountability to Portfolio Committee, Cabinet, and Cluster Committee meetings. During this first 100 days, we have aligned the Strategic Plan 2025/2030 of the Department to the GNU strategic priorities and principles espoused by the Statement of Intent of the Government of National Unity.

Members of the media,

Allow me to now outline the work done by providing highlights on various activities.

Portfolio Committee and Parliamentary Work

The Department appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour to present the 2024/2025 Annual Performance Plan (APP) of the Department on 9 July 2024.

On 11 July 2024, we presented the Budget Vote 31 of Employment and Labour to the Mini-Plenary of the National Assembly. We also received the Auditor General's Report on the Department and its entities, which was then presented to the Portfolio Committee.

On 18 September, we presented the Department and its entities' annual report as an instrument for accounting for the work done in the previous year. We also participated in the Economic Cluster Question & Answer session in the National Assembly.

In the next two weeks, the Department of Employment and Labour is taking the National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) legislation to Cabinet which seeks to better regulate the migrant labour system in South Africa- this is a significant development in the labour market space and I call upon the citizens and the media to watch the developments in this regard.

During the first 100 days, we prioritised and participated in various key department initiatives, even at an operational level. These initiatives have increased the Department’s visibility, improved legislative compliance, provided services to communities, and enhanced the Department’s image. I am sure that, many of you have been following the buzz in the media space about the work of the department!!

Inspections and enforcement activities

The role of inspection and enforcement is critical in safeguarding workers' rights, ensuring compliance with labour laws and upholding fair practices. This priority speaks directly to the need for enhanced capacity in our labour inspectorate, ensuring that the protections afforded by our laws are implemented on the ground. The inspections were conducted jointly with the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Transport, the South African Police Service, the Hawks, and the Bargaining Council of the Hospitality Sector. We have jointly conducted more successful inspections, leading to 81 arrests of employers as well as undocumented immigrants.

Our high-impact inspections and compliance raids targeted hospitality, road and freight, textile, car manufacturing, and farming sectors as these are high on non-compliance with the labour laws. During these inspections, we addressed non-standard employment practices that render workers vulnerable. We contributed to job preservation by ensuring that employed individuals enjoy the protection of their rights, which in turn enhances productivity and economic growth.

During the first 100 days, the following statistics outline the inspections and enforcement activities carried out:

Seventeen thousand, six hundred and sixty-two (17 662) national inspections were conducted and of these, Twelve thousand, one hundred and ninety-five (12 195) workplaces were compliant while, Five thousand, four hundred and ninety-four (5494) workplaces were found to be non-compliant, and as such the enforcement notices were issued.

The total value of the notices was Twenty-four million, two hundred and sixty-six thousand, seven hundred and fifty-eight rands (R24 266 758).

The Public Employment Services (PES)

In our effort to tackle unemployment head-on, the Public Employment Services (PES) during the 100 days achieved the following:

• 772 488 work seekers were registered on the ESSA system
• 52 511 work seekers were placed in registered work and learning opportunities through UIF-LAP and 7% (3 599) projects and learnerships; and 
• 180 474 work seekers were provided with employment counselling.

Operation Yazini – Know Your Ministry/Employment and Labour

We introduced Operation Yazini – Know Your Ministry/ Employment and Labour to educate and inform the nation about our services and mandate. We took services to the people, working closely with sister departments and the private sector, reaching the most remote areas of our country. The communities we visited include Mpomphomeni in uMngeni Municipality KZN, Mgangatho in Ntabankulu Municipality, Eastern Cape, where we partnered with traditional leadership to celebrate Heritage Day, Ficksburg in Setsoto Municipality, KwaZakhele in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and more. 
                          
Every Friday, we have declared DEL Friday, which is dedicated to taking services closer to the people.

Strengthening stakeholder relations at home and abroad

We have continuous engagements with organised labour, business, and social partners through various events, including the NEDLAC Summit, Inspectors Conference, signing of the Occupational Health and Safety Accord, Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) Conference for Engineering and Mining Professionals and Construction Health and Safety Conference. We have participated in and supported the Presidential Imbizos and National calendar events by having week-long build-up events and taking services during the Imbizo’s/ National event days.

We will continue strengthening partnerships and collaborations with our public and private stakeholders and civil society. We firmly believe that working together will achieve more.

South Africa’s active participation in regional and continental multilateral fora amplifies its influence on global issues impacting the African continent, particularly youth unemployment and migration. Collaborating with international bodies such as the G20, BRICS, and the African Union enhances South Africa’s ability to foster labour mobility and infrastructure improvement across Africa, driving economic stability and regional labour market development for shared prosperity. 
As we assume the leadership of the G20 this year from Brazil and host the Summit next year, we intend to increase our collaboration and partnership efforts with developed countries to strengthen economic growth for more job creation.

Both the meetings of the G20 in Brazil and the BRICS in Russia served as critical platforms to formally launch our G20 Presidency for 2025 whilst ensuring that South Africa's voice in influencing the global discourse on Employment and Social Protection issues is maintained.   We met with several leaders representing various institutions, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director General, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Secretary General and the International Social Security Association (ISSA) Secretary-General, to canvass their support for our Presidency.  We also advanced our priorities for endorsement by other G20 Member States, which was affirmed.

Increase in the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) Budget

During this period, we have announced an increase in the budget for the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) from R400 million to R2.4 billion for the current financial year. This significant boost aims to shelter companies in distress and prevent employee layoffs amid unstable economic conditions.

The increase in the TERS budget is a proactive response to volatile economic trends that threaten the livelihoods of impoverished workers and the sustainability of businesses. Our goal is to preserve jobs and support companies facing financial difficulties. Furthermore, increasing the scheme's capacity aims to reduce the risk of further retrenchments and support economic stability.

We urge interested companies to visit the CCMA for the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme for more information about TERS and application procedures.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, R65 billion rand was made available as a temporary relief for employers/employees.

Phase 3 of the “Follow the Money” project started in October 2024.  The project aims to verify the payment of R65 billion to 215 (Two Hundred and Fifteen) companies under the COVID-TERS relief scheme.

To date, the project has recovered R1,2 billion since starting. Initially, the aim was to verify 50% of the amount paid, and now we want to verify the entire amount. Consequently, 27 audit firms have been appointed, and phase 3 commenced in October 2024.

Ninety-six fraud cases were identified, forty (40) were presented to the court, and all were finalised. The highest conviction was 20 years of direct imprisonment.

The Work of Our Entities

We have four (4) entities accountable to Employment and Labour.

National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC)

Consultations on the amendment of the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act, and the National Minimum Wage Act at NEDLAC are nearing finalisation. Our intention is for these amendments to assist the country in the fight against unemployment and poverty. National Employment Policy, National Migration Policy, Employment Services Amendment Bill, OHS, EE regulations (status), and National Labour Migration Policy are left out. Audit outcomes

Presidential Youth Employment Initiative seeks to recruit 140,000 Teacher Assistants under the Labour Activation Programme (LAP).

Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) – Partnership

The Department has approved a partnership with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), now restructured as the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA). This partnership is valued at One billion, two hundred and forty eight million, six hundred and sixty thousand rands (R1, 248,660,000), and is jointly funded by the UIF, contributing 50%. The project aims to support 7,200 small enterprises and aspiring entrepreneurs for employment creation.

Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) 

The CCMA has achieved a clean audit for the third consecutive year, exemplifying the standard of clean governance we strive for across our operations. During this reporting period, the CCMA saved over 18,000 jobs at risk of retrenchment. We are proud of the CCMA and Productivity SA for their clean audits.

Productivity South Africa (Productivity SA)

Productivity SA has partnered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund on a Business Turnaround and Recovery Programme with a total budget value of just over R165 million. The objective of this programme is to prevent job losses. The Department will launch the programme before the end of November 2024. Through this program, 226 enterprises will be supported, and 11,300 jobs will be saved over the next three years. Productivity SA supported 617 SMMEs and trained 1303 entrepreneurs.

On the 25th of October, 2024, Productivity SA held their 45th National Productivity Awards. The awards were to recognise the outstanding achievements made by businesses through the Business Turnaround and Recovery programme, the Competitiveness Improvement Services Programme aimed at supporting SMME's and the new category of Quality and Productivity (Kaizen) improvements. Gold, silver and bronze winners represented their provinces in all three categories.

Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE)

Following our visit to its factory in Gqeberha, the Supported Employment Enterprises received an office furniture order for the Mayoral Committee members of the Nelson Mandala Bay Metro leadership. This highlights the importance of strategic partnerships and engagement between various spheres of government.    

Strengthening Institutional Capacity

Through Project Twenty Thousand, we intend to supplement inspectorate capacity with twenty thousand interns over the medium term and expand Supported Employment Enterprises and health and wellness initiatives.

We visited various communities, partnering with traditional leadership and the private sector. Recognising the importance of our stakeholders, we have since met with COSATU and BUSA.

We also visited and met with Senior managers and staff in certain provinces and will continue to do so until we reach all corners of the Department.

In the next five years, we have set out seven critical priority areas aligned with the APP and the five-year strategic plan.

First, is to strengthen our regulatory capabilities by carefully assessing how Labour Law Reforms will influence our strategic and operational planning. Various change drivers, including technology, demographics, climate change, and geopolitics, are pressuring us to develop agile policies and regulatory frameworks suited to the future of work. These reforms will reshape our approach to protecting workers’ rights and regulating employment conditions, significantly impacting the Department’s capacity to enforce compliance and address labour market challenges. Our discussions on this topic are vital to ensuring the Department remains adaptable and responsive to the needs of South Africans.

Second, we are enhancing the coordination of employment interventions by finding synergies with sister departments and entities, supporting the Presidential Youth Employment Initiatives (PYE), and improving the performance of the Labour Activation Programme (LAP) as a vehicle to activate employment. The Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) is regulated so employers can utilise it to coordinate the employment mandate. Labour Law Reforms are being prioritised to be responsive to economic imperatives benefiting both employees and employers, including the National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP), National Employment Policy (NEP), and Employment Services Amendment Bill (ESAB).

Third, we are focusing on good corporate governance by improving the audit outcomes of the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) and Internal Audit (IA), ensuring the efficient functioning of statutory bodies and committees, and maintaining zero tolerance for corruption, maladministration, and poor performance. By introducing the Ministerial Excellence Awards, we aim to encourage high performance by recognising good performers and boosting staff morale.

Fourth, we are improving service delivery by unbundling the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Compensation Fund (CF), reconfiguring the Department of Labour into the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), improving the functioning and impact of the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS), expanding the work of the Business Turnaround and Recovery (BT&R) programme to save more jobs, and extending and resuscitating the Ex-mineworkers outreach with other government departments and entities.

Fifth, we are strengthening the department's institutional capacity by focusing on the health and wellness of DEL Family officials, injecting 20,000 Labour Inspector interns into the Inspectorate to enhance capacity.

Sixth, we are enhancing the marketing and communication of departmental services and programmes by continuing with Operation Yazini—Know Your Ministry/Employment and Labour and dedicating DEL Fridays to highlighting the Department's and its entities' excellent work.

Finally, we are advancing the department's new employment mandate by focusing on establishing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) with government, business, labour, international agencies, and civil society.

We have used the 100 days as a litmus test to determine that all seven priorities can yield positive results, and ours now is to speed up the work already started.

We unpack the details of the 100 Days in our report provided today in printed form and also available on the Employment and Labour website. We urge you to visit www.labour.gov.za

Let me take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to President Ramaphosa for his confidence in us. We stand on the shoulders of giants such as the late Employment and Labour Ministers Tito Mboweni and Membathisi Mdladlana, who left behind a solid legacy within the Department.

Thank you to the Deputy Ministers for their leadership, the Acting Director-General and all the staff for their commitment and drive to ensure that we achieve our goals for the 7th Administration.

Thank you again, media representatives, for attending this session.

I call upon all Stakeholders and the community to commit to working together to realise our goals and aspirations for the labour sector.

Media enquiries: 
Ms. Thobeka Magcai, Ministry Spokesperson
Email: Thobeka.Magcai@Labour.gov.za
Mobile: 072 737 2205