Pretoria, Gauteng – A groundbreaking nationwide labour enforcement blitz has exposed severe Tshwane textile factory labour violations, bringing to light a disturbing pattern of worker exploitation at a local manufacturing plant. During the government’s first coordinated multi-agency operation, inspectors discovered that employees at the facility were subjected to underpayment, excessive unpaid hours, and a complete lack of basic employment protections.
Sweeping Multi-Agency Operation Yields Arrests
The simultaneous inspections took place across all nine provinces on Friday. Spearheaded by the Departments of Employment and Labour and Home Affairs, alongside the South African Police Service (SAPS) and various other enforcement agencies, the operation was led by Deputy Ministers Jomo Sibiya and Njabulo Nzuza.
The targeted raid at Korteks Textiles Africa (Pty) Ltd resulted in the immediate arrest of the company’s director on charges of allegedly employing illegal foreign nationals. In addition to the director, eight illegal foreign nationals were also taken into custody.
Shockingly Poor Working Conditions and Wage Theft
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya highlighted the sheer volume of infractions uncovered at the Tshwane facility, noting a blatant disregard for statutory regulations.
“What we have found here is that this company… is literally not complying with a number of our labour and immigration laws,” Sibiya stated.
The violations were extensive and deeply concerning. Inspectors discovered that workers were being paid R28 per hour, deliberately undercutting the national minimum wage of R30.23 per hour. Furthermore, employees were forced to work beyond their scheduled 12-hour shifts without receiving any overtime compensation.
Basic workplace protections were entirely absent. Many workers lacked formal employment contracts, were not registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) or the Compensation Fund, and were not issued personal protective equipment (PPE).
In one of the most alarming findings, workers reported being physically locked inside the factory premises from 6:00 PM until 7:00 AM during night shifts. Instead of being granted statutory annual leave, employees were given only a single week of shutdown in December.
Reflecting on the scale of the infractions, Sibiya noted, “It’s a litany of challenges and undermining a number of our laws that we have observed in this company, and we are going to make sure that there is change.”
Restitution for Exploited Workers
Addressing the financial exploitation, Sibiya confirmed that the Department of Employment and Labour is taking immediate steps to ensure workers are financially compensated for the stolen wages.
“We are going to calculate how much they owe workers. We are going to go back and make sure that they are paid whatever that they are owed,” he explained, emphasizing that employing illegal foreign nationals remains a strict criminal offence.
Targeting the Root of Illegal Migration
The director of Korteks Textiles Africa reportedly attempted to defend the hiring of undocumented staff, claiming some employees were permitted to work while awaiting their documentation. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza swiftly rejected this justification.
Nzuza emphasized that penalizing employers who knowingly hire undocumented foreign nationals is a vital strategy in curbing illegal migration.
“The issue here is that we are cutting the demand for illegal migrant labour. That will deal with our problem of the influx of illegal people because they are guaranteed a job, even though they are illegal,” Nzuza explained.
A New Era of Workplace Compliance
This joint operation marks a significant shift in the government’s approach to workplace compliance. By executing simultaneous inspections across all nine provinces, the multidisciplinary blitz aims to strictly enforce labour, immigration, and related legislation, ultimately safeguarding workers’ rights and ensuring a fair playing field for compliant businesses nationwide.
