Latest news with #Lefika
Mail & Guardian
5 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
A weekend to breathe in
Lefika Villas at Sun City (Photo supplied) Some weekends arrive just in time — like a quiet drumbeat in a noisy week, beckoning you to pause and breathe. That was exactly the rhythm of our escape to Sun City this past weekend, where my partner and I surrendered to the warm embrace of Lefika Villas — Sun City's latest ode to luxury, heritage and rest. Set against the majestic backdrop of the Pilanesberg's rugged hills, Lefika Villas feels like something ancient and intimate. 'Lefika' means stone in Setswana, and the name does more than pay homage to the land — it speaks to the soul of the place. You feel it when you arrive: the scent of the earth, the stillness of nature, the whisper of ancestry carried on the wind. The architecture draws from Itlholanoga, the heritage site not far from there — believed to be the original Lost City. Here, walls speak in stone and silence. We arrived in the golden hush of late afternoon. Our villa, a three-bedroom beauty carved with intention, welcomed us like an old friend. Inside, light danced on handblown-glass pendant lights, while bead chandeliers hung like gentle storytellers above us. The space is all about touch and texture: dark wood furniture, jute fabrics and natural hues that seem to blur the line between indoors and the land beyond. But let's talk about the kitchen for a moment. Sleek, open-plan and home to a Nespresso machine that was definitely too high-tech for me at first (thank you, YouTube), it's the kind of space that makes you believe you could host a cooking show — if only for a weekend. The lounge, with its folding doors, opened onto a private patio complete with a built-in braai. You're not just in a villa; you're in a cocoon of comfort cradled by mountains. The villas are positioned with surgical precision. From each room, you see the landscape undisturbed — rolling hills, a wandering bird, silence. Privacy isn't just preserved here, it's celebrated. Each bedroom is its own narrative, en-suite and individually themed to reflect South African identity. My favourite detail? The bathrooms. Think textured tiles, diffused lighting and enough space to twirl if you're the dancing-while-drying-off type. It's luxury without the shouting — everything whispers. What won me over, though, is the villas' gentle commitment to sustainability. The stone walls, aside from being gorgeously robust, double as natural insulators. Energy-saving fixtures, solar-powered systems and water-wise fittings reflect an understanding: luxury can be kind. It must be. Of course, sanctuary comes at a price. A stay at Lefika Villas is structured like an investment. The villa we stayed in carries a price tag of R88 825. But before your heart skips a beat — this isn't the nightly rate. It's the cost for a 10-year plan, giving you 10 holiday stays over a decade. It's time, packaged beautifully. There's even an option to pay in monthly instalments, starting with a deposit of R8 883 followed by 10 payments of R7 994, though prices may vary. Luxury, like heritage, asks you to see the long view. But we didn't stay in our villa, no matter how tempting. Sun City called. From the Gary Player Golf Course to the Valley of Waves, the resort is a playground for all seasons. For the more adventurous, Segway tours and hot-air balloon rides lift you out of the everyday. And for those who believe good food is a holiday essential, dining options abound — from Leloko's elegant menu to a comforting R60 burger from one of the classic chains. Yes, you can eat fast food in high-end luxury and still feel like royalty. That's the magic. What I loved most about Lefika Villas wasn't just the space or the design or even the views. It was the feeling. The quiet of a place that understands where it stands. A villa that respects the land it rests on, that honours the stories carved in stone and handed down generations. On Monday morning, as we packed up in a rush for the rat race, the hills turned gold as the sun came up. Not flashy gold — but that soft, knowing gold that comes just before twilight. And I thought to myself: 'This wasn't just a getaway. It was a return to something older, grounding. Real.' Whether you're a couple needing time to reconnect, a family looking for new traditions or a solo traveller chasing stillness, Lefika Villas offers more than just a stay. It offers space to breathe, reflect and be.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Employers gain flexibility in choosing EAP demographics for employment equity plans"
The Department of Employment and Labour is forging ahead with the implementation of the Employment Equity Amendment Act. Image: Leon Lestrade/ Independent Newspapers EMPLOYERS will have the option to use the applicable national or regional Economically Active Population (EAP) population as an instrument when developing employment equity (EE) plans. At a recent EE workshop held in Sandton, Department of Employment and Labour deputy director, Masilo Lefika said employers will have this option when developing EE Plans and setting annual numerical targets in their workplaces. He added that when developing EE Plans and setting annual numerical targets in their workplaces in terms of legislation, designated employers must take into account the workforce profile, the relevant five-year sectoral numerical targets, and the applicable EAP. 'The five-year sectoral numerical targets are key milestones towards achieving the equitable representation of the different designated groups within the four upper occupational levels in an employer's workforce in relation to the demographics of the applicable EAP, and for persons with disabilities,' said Lefika. This comes as the Department is forging ahead with legislative amendments to the Employment Equity Act (EEA). These amendments have their origins in 2019, when the Department, in collaboration with the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE), began sector-specific engagements aimed at setting employment equity (EE) targets. The goal was to accelerate transformation in the workplace. These efforts culminated in the Employment Equity Amendment Act No. 4 of 2022, which officially came into effect on January 1, 2025. However the changes have been met with mixed reactions as the DA has taken government to court to challenge the amendments, while others have raised concerns about applying national targets at the expense of regional demographics. According to Lefika, a designated employer will incur "no penalty or any form of disadvantage if there are reasonable grounds to justify its failure to comply with any target". Trade union federation Cosatu welcomed the option for employers to choose which demographics to apply when setting their targets. 'Cosatu engaged with the Department of Employment and Labour extensively on the 2023 amendments to the Employment Equity Act at Nedlac as well as with Parliament. We support these amendments, in particular the provisions recognising regional demographic diversity and enabling employers to utilise them or national demographics depending on their own footprint as an employer. This is critical as the demographics of Limpopo differ widely from those of the Western and Northern Cape and those differ significantly from KwaZulu-Natal. 'Enabling employers to utilise regional demographics is important to ensure local workers enjoy full worker opportunities and also to ensure workplaces represent South Africa's full diversity. This is especially important for provinces like the Western and Northern Cape where coloured workers are the largest demographic group and similarly in provinces like Gauteng and KZN. Employment equity includes all South Africans, of all racial, gender and disability categories,' Cosatu Parliamentary Coordinator, Matthew Parks said. The National Coloured Congress (NCC), which had called to meet with minister Nomakhosazana Meth over the issue, added that without proper consideration of provincial demographics, it risks the further marginalising of Coloured communities. 'The Constitutional Court has ruled you can't implement national demographics, regionally. All the labour department is doing is making it easier for businesses with vested interests to discriminate. As the custodian of employment equity, the labour department should do its job,' NCC leader, Fadiel Adams said. Cape Times National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams. Image: Supplied
IOL News
26-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
New inspectors appointed to enforce Employment Equity Amendment Act
The Department of Employment and Labour has this week announced its new strategy to enforce Employment Equity Amendment Act in private companies Image: Leon Lestrade/ Independent Newspapers THE Department of Employment and Labour has brought in 50 inspectors to force private companies to implement the Employment Equity Amendment Act (EEAA), which came into effect early this year despite the opposition from the Institute for Race Relations (IRR). The IRR, which was still preparing legal papers intending to approach the court to nullify the act, which it called 'the most counterproductive racial labour law.' In a statement released on Friday, the department said the 50 inspectors were briefed on Thursday in a workshop held in Pretoria on how to go about enforcing the Act. The Act, which promotes affirmative action in businesses that have 50 and above employees, would ensure that all racial groups and people with disabilities were represented according to their demographic population in all management positions. Department's Employment Equity Directorate deputy director, Masilo Lefika, said in a statement released on Friday that the targeted employers must 'prepare and implement an Employment Equity (EE) Plan for the period from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2030.' 'The designated employer must comply with the numerical targets set in terms of section 15A (3) for the economic sector in which they operate. 'If the employer operates in more than one sector, it must apply the numerical targets for the sector in which the majority of their employees are engaged,' said Lefika. The companies that would be found in breach of the law, including not having an approved Employment Equity Plan or failing to submit annual reports, by 2030 would receive hefty fines of up to R1.5 million or 2% of annual turnover. However, some targeted companies might escape penalties only if they could justify their non-compliance. 'The justifiable reasons/grounds to be considered for failure to comply are insufficient recruitment opportunities, insufficient promotion opportunities, insufficient target individuals from the designated groups with the relevant qualifications, skills and experience, CCMA/ Court Order, transfer of business, merger/acquisitions, and the impact of economic circumstances on the business,' said Lefika. However, the IRR described the EEAA as racially discriminatory. 'IRR Legal will challenge the EEAA in court to block its harmful impact on already scarce jobs, and vindicate the Bill of Rights,' read the IRR statement. IRR believed that the EEAA was not just discriminating against whites, but was cutting across racial and gender lines as it was preventing racial groups from being overrepresented in companies and management positions. IRR Legal Executive Director Gabriel Crouse said the institute was against the EEAA because it was violating 'the rainbow republic's Constitution'. 'There are two sets of regulations that exhibit the unconstitutionality of the Act, both published on April 15 2025. 'Our estimate is that 85% of the formally employed workforce is employed in companies with over 50 people, a fact which should always be noted when the exemption is mentioned, but seldom is,' said Crouse. He said the Act was placing a racial moratorium on white men, but it was opening people of all races and genders to the vulnerability of being sidelined from being promoted to senior positions. 'The regulations state that employers 'must avoid perpetuating the over-representation of any group if their representation exceeds the applicable [Economically Active Population] in a particular occupational level'. 'That means if a designated company has 60 black women at senior management, then the company must avoid perpetuating the over-representation of that group as it exceeds the applicable EAP (Economically Active Population),' said Crouse. The IRR was concerned that the Act could bankrupt businesses through fines for failing to comply. 'The new EEAA is doomed to backfire in the private sector as it has already backfired in the public sector, where it was used explicitly to stop black and Indian women from being able to get jobs, as well as blocking every other existing race-gender pair in various instances,' read the statement. IRR said polls were indicating that EEAA, like all forms of BEE, was unpopular among South Africans, including blacks who preferred 'a meritocratic alternative to BEE to be implemented.' Crouse said the IRR was still busy with the process of drafting court papers against the EEAA. Cosatu's parliament spokesperson, Matthew Parks, said the federation was fully behind the Act, which he said complied with the constitution. 'The Employment Equity Act is nearly as old as our hard-won democracy and has stood the test of time, including previous court reviews. 'If the IRR had retained its once respected research capacity, it would be familiar with the 2023 amendments to the Employment Equity Act,' said Parks. He said the amendment to the Act was a result of extensive engagements between labour and business at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and parliament's public hearings. 'If the SAIRR was genuine in its desire to influence legislation, it would have exercised its constitutional rights to make representations to Parliament over the past thirty years. 'It may be that the IRR whose board and staff complement are over 75% white, feels uncomfortable with any requirement to embrace the non-racial ethos of the democratic South Africa,' said Parks. Labour expert Michael Bagraim said while the EEA had been in existence for almost 30 years, it has been a complete failure as the regulations will worsen unemployment. 'The new regulations will not result in better demographics for the workforce, [as] the regulations in the past have benefited the very few who have become very rich. 'We need to go back to the drawing board to try and bring in a different type of dispensation to ensure that the workforce is reflective of the demographics,' said Bagraim.
