Joint Enforcement Blitz Highlights Severe Non-Compliance with Labour and Immigration Statutes

Posted 24 July 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Labour & Employment

Brought to you by SAnews: The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), in coordination with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the South African Police Service (SAPS), has initiated a nationwide multi-agency enforcement operation targeting employer non-compliance across core labour, occupational health, and immigration legislation.

During a simultaneous multi-provincial operation conducted on 24 July 2026, enforcement officers inspected Korteks Textiles Africa (Pty) Ltd in Tshwane. The company’s director and eight employees were arrested for alleged contraventions of section 38 of the Immigration Act, No. 13 of 2002, which prohibits the employment of illegal or undocumented foreign nationals and establishes employer liability.

Inspectors documented extensive statutory violations across multiple legislative frameworks, including:

  • National Minimum Wage Act, No. 9 of 2018: Employees were reportedly remunerated at R28.00 per hour, falling short of the statutory national minimum wage rate of R30.23 per hour. The DEL confirmed it is auditing company payroll records to calculate outstanding back-pay and enforce compliance orders.
  • Basic Conditions of Employment Act, No. 75 of 1997 (BCEA): Non-compliance findings included failure to provide written particulars of employment, unpaid overtime for shifts exceeding 12 hours, restriction of annual leave to a one-week December shutdown, and severe working condition breaches involving locking employees inside the plant during night shifts from 18:00 to 07:00.
  • Unemployment Insurance Act, No. 63 of 2001 & Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, No. 130 of 1993 (COIDA): Failure to register employees with or contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund.
  • Occupational Health and Safety Act, No. 85 of 1993 (OHSA): Failure to provide required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to factory workers.

The joint inspections mark an intensified regulatory focus on cutting demand for unauthorized foreign labour and enforcing director accountability across high-risk industrial sectors nationwide.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual obligations; impact is channelled through employer compliance audits and practice-level risk management.
  • For your business: Employers must immediately review wage structures against the statutory R30.23 per hour minimum wage, audit employment contracts and BCEA overtime records, verify active registrations with UIF and COIDA, and ensure strict compliance with OHSA safety gear mandates.
  • For your clients: Advise commercial clients that directors face personal criminal liability under the Immigration Act for employing undocumented workers, alongside statutory compliance orders and back-pay claims under the BCEA and National Minimum Wage Act for wage shortfalls.

Originally published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/nationwide-labour-blitz-uncovers-widespread-worker-exploitation-tshwane-textile

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