Irreconcilable differences between South African Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana and his director general, Advocate Rams Ramashia, led to Ramashia's sudden resignation this week -- seven months earlier than the expiry of his five-year contract, senior officials within the department told the Mail & Guardian Online on Thursday.

The economy will lose more working hours if planned strikes by hundreds of thousands of workers in the coal and diamond sector go ahead.

The ANC has been keeping a close eye on two union leadership contests, namely the National Union of Mineworkers and National Union of Metalworkers.

With just over 88,2% of votes captured by early Friday morning, the African National Congress has nearly garnered 70% of the votes. With the preliminary count updated at 3am, the ruling party was heading the national race with 9,39-million of the votes counted, which translates into 69,67% -- continuing to make gains on its apparent two-thirds majority.

The sudden withdrawal of a top law firm from representing ANC Youth League president Julius Malema in his "shoot the boer" case has divided the firm.

President Jacob Zuma's new son-in-law is at the centre of an escalating row over a R1-billion tender for new government office space.

Membathisi Mdladlana, the Labour Minister, wants the ANC's national general council in September to discuss radical changes to the labour laws.

When told she'd lost her prestigious defence post, apparently after getting too big for her boots, Lindiwe Sisulu was caught completely off guard.