Several illegal foreigners employed by local companies have been arrested following a joint mega blitz inspection in Potchefstroom, North West.
Four illegal foreign nationals were detained on Thursday during a roadblock along the congested N12 route as part of the weekly blitz inspections with the Department of Employment and Labour, Home Affairs, Transport, and South African Police Services.
The arrests come after the Wednesday night arrests of seven unauthorised foreign nationals at a local company.
All of them are scheduled to appear at Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court.
The Iron and Steel, Manufacturing, and Road Freight and Logistics sectors were the focus of a mega-blitz inspection in the North West Province led by the Employment and Labor Minister, Thulas Nxesi, and Deputy Minister, Boitumelo Moloi.
A number of workplaces and trucks were examined as part of the department’s blitz inspections, which began on Wednesday. The department was looking for compliance with labour laws, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Unemployment Insurance Act (UIA), Compensation Fund Act (CFA), Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), and National Minimum Wage Act.
“We have already found that several truck drivers are undocumented – are not paid in terms of the collective agreements and are not registered for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). We are warning employers to ensure that they abide by the labour laws or face the music,” Nxesi said.
The operation, according to the minister, was a follow-up to last month’s commitment by a number of ministers to step up their programme of action to address hiring undocumented foreign workers.
Following a two-hour rigorous operation, the unauthorised foreign nationals were finally captured, according to Colonel Thabo Mahlangu.
Phumi Maphaha, the department’s acting chief inspector, expressed his dissatisfaction after the inspection at Chubby Chick on Wednesday, during which it was discovered that the company had neglected to provide the certificate of conformity with the ammonia kept at the plant.
Maphaha stated that his team was pleased with the boilers’ operational state and that the company has guaranteed its availability within 24 hours.
Maphaha also raised worry over the theft of firefighting tools, which might be extremely dangerous if a fire breaks out at the plant.
He stated that the medical surveillance unit had issued several notices that will be investigated.
The inspections will be completed on Friday, and the focus will shift to the manufacturing sector.