A multidisciplinary high-impact blitz inspection in Nquthu found non-compliance with labour laws, the Immigration Act, and other South African regulations. This led to the detention of Illegal Immigrants and their employers, and the confiscation of illegal materials.
Image: Facebook/ Department of Employment and Labour
In a move to enforce national regulations, Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya spearheaded a high-impact blitz inspection in Nquthu, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Friday.
The operation, a formidable joint effort involving Employment and Labour inspectors, immigration officers, EDTEA inspectors, and the SAPS, specifically targeted the wholesale and retail sector.
The inspection revealed multiple instances of non-compliance with South African labour laws, the Immigration Act, and other national regulations. This operation led to the detention of illegal immigrants and their employers, as well as the confiscation of illegal materials discovered at the scene.
Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya, a joint team of inspectors and law enforcement officials, conducted a blitz inspection in the wholesale and retail sector of Nquthu.
Image: Facebook/ Department of Employment and Labour
Sibiya said the operation was conducted successfully, spearheaded by a formidable joint effort involving the Department of Employment and Labour, the SAPS and Home Affairs.
He said 10 illegal immigrants were arrested. During inspections, 11 of the 17 shops were found to be non-compliant and were subsequently prohibited from operating, resulting in their electricity being cut off and goods valued at over R10,000 were confiscated.
“The President has given us a clear mandate on what to do, and we won’t disappoint. Ours is to implement,” Sibiya said.
“We also thank the Nquthu Municipality for also coming in and playing their role in this operation.”
Delivering his State of the Nation Address recently, Ramaphosa said the police, Home Affairs and labour inspectors will work together to crack down on violations of existing immigration, labour and other laws. Employers who hire foreign nationals without the required visas will face the full might of the law. Additionally, as part of a drive to tighten enforcement, 10,000 additional labour inspectors will be hired this year.
He said the additional capacity of labour inspectors is expected to boost the number of annual workplace visits from 300,000 to approximately 1.6 million inspections. Over 16.8 million people in the country will have their work environments and employment conditions improved.
He said they will also improve on the millions recovered annually in the form of penalties, fines, underpayments, and failure to register workers for social protection. The department successfully recovers over R70 million annually, returning it directly to exploited workers by addressing illegal deductions and underpayments.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za