Over 20 undocumented foreign nationals have been arrested following the Department of Employment and Labour’s blitz inspections in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a statement on Wednesday, the department said that the multi-departmental inspections, spearheaded by Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya, were done in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Njabulo Nzuza; Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister, Sihle Zikalala; the South African Police Service, the Ilembe District Municipality, and the Indwedwe Local Municipality, led by Mayor Mfeka.
The 25 individuals as well as two employers were arrested on Tuesday.
The blitz inspections focused on the agriculture and wholesale and retail sectors in Indwedwe Local Municipality.
“The 25 people arrested for illegally working in South Africa were employed in two of the farms that were raided by inspectors from the department, as well as officials from Home Affairs and the South African Police Service. The two farm employers were arrested for employing the 25 illegal immigrants in South Africa.
“A number of those employees arrested are Malawians and Mozambicans, and they were subsequently taken in at the local police station for processing and possible deportation back to their respective countries,” the department said.
The blitz inspections were meant to check on the level of compliance with labour legislation, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act, Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act, and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.
“We found that some of the employees were not registered with the UIF [Unemployment Insurance Fund] and the Compensation Fund, and the employer was not compliant with the National Minimum Wage,” Deputy Minister Sibiya said.
Sibiya said some of the wholesale and retail establishments were selling food items that had expired.
“Some food products being sold here are not labelled, some have expired, or are unauthorised, and for public safety reasons, have to be confiscated by the municipal officials,” he said.
The structural conditions of their buildings also posed safety risks, as some did not have proper electrical installations, which pose fire risks.
“We are going to close some of these shops because they don’t meet the legal standards of the Occupational Health and Safety that we have put in place as a country,” Sibiya said.
As a result of noncompliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act Regulations, two shops were closed.
The department added that several prohibition notices were served to all the inspected wholesalers and shops in the Bhamshela area for failure to comply with labour laws such as the OHSA and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act. – SAnews.gov.za
