PRETORIA, Gauteng — A major Pretoria labour blitz has resulted in the arrest of ten undocumented foreign nationals and their employers during a multidisciplinary inspection targeting severe labour and immigration law violations. The coordinated enforcement action focused on ensuring strict compliance with national legislation at several corporate entities, including Korteks Textiles Africa and AMKA Products.
The operation was jointly led by officials from the Departments of Home Affairs and Employment and Labour, working in tandem with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Tshwane Metro Police. Deputy Ministers Jomo Sibiya and Njabulo Nzuza stated that sustained operations of this nature are intentionally designed to deter employers from hiring undocumented foreign nationals who do not possess scarce skills, while actively helping to curb illegal immigration.
During the inspection, management at the targeted facilities initially attempted to push back against the authorities. Officials swiftly clarified that they are legally mandated to enforce the country’s labour and immigration laws, dismissing any notion that employing a large number of local citizens grants a company the right to bypass immigration regulations.
Employees at Korteks Textiles highlighted severe workplace challenges, citing direct contraventions of the Minimum Wage Act, the Labour Relations Act, and the Immigration Act. Workers reported earning only 28 rand per hour, falling short of the legally mandated national minimum wage of 30.23 rand per hour. Furthermore, staff noted they receive only Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) contributions, with no provident fund or salary increases provided.
The exploitative conditions reportedly included punitive administrative measures, such as forcing workers to sign warning forms for minor infractions like being five minutes late or failing to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE), despite employees being forced to purchase their own uniforms.
Authorities uncovered that workers were subjected to 12-hour shifts, and sometimes longer, without any overtime compensation. Additionally, many employees lacked formal employment contracts and were not registered with the UIF or the compensation fund. Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya noted that employers are fully aware of the laws and have access to human resources professionals who should advise them against hiring individuals not legally permitted to work in the country.
Officials emphasized that this marks the first time such a multidisciplinary operation has been executed simultaneously across all nine provinces. Deputy Ministers Sibiya and Nzuza vowed that these inspections will continue unabated until employers fully comply with labour laws and prioritize South African citizens for employment opportunities.
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