Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has announced that they have issued fines totalling over R10 million and arrested 81 undocumented foreign workers during their nationwide labour inspections on restaurants and workplace compliance.
The minister said they had also found over 1,941 foreigners at the 2,681 establishments they inspected between September 17 to 20, 2024. Meth revealed this while addressing the media on the recent blitz inspections and raids the department has been working on in the hospitality industry, which were sparked by a viral TikTok video of a former staffer complaining about worker treatment at Babel restaurant in Menlyn.
Meth said that her department had collaborated with the Department of Home Affairs, the Bargaining Council of the Hospitality Sector and law enforcement to conduct the high-impact blitz inspections.
“Our inspections have revealed instances of non-compliance, including underpayment of wages, unlawful deductions, and inadequate health and safety measures,” Meth explained.
“To date, we have enforced monetary corrections totalling over R10 million, compelling employers to rectify these violations and honour their obligations to their employees,” the minister said.
“Employers found in violation are issued compliance orders with clear deadlines for corrective action. In situations where immediate risks to health and safety are identified, Prohibition Notices are issued to halt hazardous activities until compliance is achieved,” she noted.
Meth said the Western Cape led with the highest number of inspections, totalling 809. Gauteng followed with 764 inspections, and KwaZulu-Natal with 535. The department also conducted 217 inspections in the North West, 82 in the Eastern Cape, 69 in the Free State and 59 in Mpumalanga.
In terms of arrests, the data was not yet available in the Western Cape, but Gauteng had 28, Eastern Cape and Limpopo had 14 each, North West had 12, KZN had 11, Free State had 2, while Mpumalanga had none.
Undocumented workers
The minister said that she is extremely concerned about the employment of undocumented workers.
"Concurrently, the widespread employment of undocumented foreign nationals raises concerns over exploitation and the circumvention of legal hiring practices,“ she said.
“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,” Meth explained.
In order to further strengthen oversight and enforcement, the department has plans to expand its inspectorate capacity from 2,000 to 20,000 inspectors over the next three years.
The hope is that this will help enhance the department’s ability to conduct more frequent and thorough inspections across SA.
“To maximise the effectiveness of our inspections, we will implement a risk profiling system. This approach will allow us to prioritise audits and inspections based on identified risks, thereby improving our capacity to address high-priority non-compliance areas more efficiently.
“Our enforcement strategy will be integrated and risk-based, enabling us to address all compliance issues at the workplace in a holistic and comprehensive manner, ensuring that all regulatory requirements are met.
“Our commitment extends beyond enforcement; it is about fostering social justice and ensuring that every worker's rights are protected,” she concluded.
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