GAUTENG – Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero are leading a comprehensive labour law blitz across the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD) today. The multidisciplinary inspection operation targets key sectors to enforce strict compliance with national labour laws, immigration legislation, and municipal by-laws.
The joint operation involves officials from the Department of Employment and Labour, the City of Johannesburg, and Home Affairs border management. The initiative aims to ensure that businesses, street traders, and taxi operators adhere to city regulations as part of a broader effort to rejuvenate and reclaim the city. This enforcement drive follows recent municipal operations targeting counterfeit goods and ongoing cleaning efforts along local railway lines.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero emphasized that regulatory compliance is mandatory for all entities operating within the city. Addressing historical challenges with illegal taxi ranks, Mayor Morero noted that engagements with SANTACO leadership are underway, with a dedicated operation being planned to address non-compliant transport hubs. “Everybody must comply, whether it is the taxi owners, street traders, or businesses,” Mayor Morero stated, affirming that while the battle to regulate the city will take time, authorities are committed to winning it through consistent by-law enforcement.
During the inspections, Minister Meth engaged directly with business owners, including a shop manager identified as Phillip, to outline the scope of the compliance checks. The task force is verifying adherence to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the National Minimum Wage Act, and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) regulations. Officials requested full cooperation as they review employment documents and operational practices on-site.
Minister Meth highlighted specific areas of concern, noting that preliminary discussions with workers revealed some are working 13-hour shifts, such as from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. This violates statutory expectations of an 8-hour workday, mandatory lunch breaks, and provisions for sick and maternity leave. The Minister referenced similar recent compliance operations in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, which successfully addressed worker complaints regarding excessive hours and poor conditions in factory settings.
The multidisciplinary blitz inspections in the Johannesburg CBD are scheduled to continue until 2 p.m., with inspectors trained in various compliance fields systematically reviewing workplace conditions and legal documentation across the targeted sectors.
