Employment and Labour Minister not happy with preference of foreign nationals for jobs by business
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A complaint that was raised and posted on social media by a student who was employed as a waitress at a Menlyn restaurant in Tshwane saw inspectors from the Department of Labour and Employment together with the police and Home Affairs officials visiting the said establishment. During the visit, officials uncovered horrifying working conditions including unlawful labour practices.
As a result, nationwide inspections were activated mostly in hospitality where the Department found various violations. In addressing the media on Monday, Minister Nomakhosazana Meth was not happy to find that many business establishments are blatantly violating labour laws.
She also expressed sadness in the level of unemployment facing the youth in South Africa, instead of the business sector helping fix the problem, they worsen it by employing undocumented foreign nationals as well.
“We remain deeply concerned about the high unemployment rate of 33.5% among South Africans, particularly affecting our youth. Concurrently, the employment of undocumented foreigners in various sectors raises serious concerns about exploitation and the undermining of our legal frameworks.”
“Our administration is committed to addressing these challenges comprehensively and humanely. We are collaborating closely with the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that employment practices comply with immigration laws, and that all workers—regardless of their origin—are treated with dignity and fairness.”
She said that they had been engaged in various inspections nationwide where the Western Cape led with the highest number of inspections, totalling 809. Gauteng followed with 764 inspections, and KwaZulu-Natal with 535. Inspections were also carried out in the North West (217), Eastern Cape (82), Free State (69), and Mpumalanga (59).
“Our inspections have revealed instances of non-compliance, including underpayment of wages, unlawful deductions, and inadequate health and safety measures. To date, we have enforced monetary corrections totalling over R10 million, compelling employers to rectify these violations and honour their obligations to their employees.”
Minister Meth also said that over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, they plan to significantly expand their inspectorate, increasing the number of inspectors from 2,000 to 20,000.
“This expansion will enhance our ability to conduct thorough audits and inspections across the country.”
She pleaded with businesses to comply with labour laws and help solve unemployment problems in our country.
