Scores of fleeing undocumented foreigners arrested during blitz in KZN businesses

A joint operation carried out under the banner of the district development model (DDM) in the Ilembe district in KwaZulu-Natal saw scores of alleged undocumented immigrants nabbed on Tuesday.

The blitz was led by Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in collaboration with Njabulo Nzuza, the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, and Jomo Sibiya from the Department of Labour and Employment.

The blitz mainly targeted the sugarcane farms and shops mainly owned by foreign nationals of Asian origins.

Compliance with SA laws

After the blitz, Sibiya said the main aim of the inspection was to check the level of compliance by the business owners. This includes the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Minimum Wage act, Immigration Act and many other laws.

Sibiya also threatened to close some shops for not meeting the required occupational health and safety standards.

“The big issue in farms is the employment of illegal foreign immigrants. Some farms are not paying workers at a Minimum Wage level. [Employers are] not registered with both UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) and CF (Compensation Fund). The wholesale and retail sector is the worst, the level of compliance is zero.

“All of these shops are owned by non South Africans the whole street…. They just disregard everything (labour laws) we closed two shops because of grave non-compliance levels. During the Operation, 28 people were arrested.

“Twenty five are the illegal foreign immigrants working illegally in South Africa. And three are the employers. This was a successful operation, thanks to the team from the Department of Employment and Labour, Public Works, Home Affairs, SAPS and the Municipality both Indwedwe and Ilembe,” Sibiya said after the blitz.

Zikalala’s department said what stood out was the use of cheap labour and exploitation of foreign nationals.

Exploitation of undocumented foreigners

The department said the blitz found that hundreds of employees are forced to work long hours. They do not get paid minimum wages. They work in environments that do not meet health and safety standards. Most of these employees are undocumented foreign nationals working without work permits.

On arrival, the three officials witnessed the undocumented foreign nationals fleeing in different directions across the sugar-cane fields. Some jumped over fences in Bhamshela, trying to evade arrest, but were eventually nabbed.

Zikalala hails from the area and organised the blitz after an outcry from locals. He said the blitz discovered that many of the farm workers are foreign nationals who are in the country illegally. And they are working without work permits.

He has stressed that the government does not have problems with foreigners in the country. Only provided that they are in the country legally. And they have the proper documents that allow them to work.

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