Employment & Labour Dept to intensify inspections across Gauteng

Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya said that the department would intensify inspections across Gauteng, as government moves to tighten the enforcement of labour laws and root out the illegal employment of foreign nationals.

Speaking during an inspection at a steel manufacturing company in Turfontein, south of Johannesburg, on Thursday, Sibiya said that the province, as the country’s economic hub, would be a major focus area in the department’s ongoing compliance drive. 

He said the operation conducted on Thursday was a success, adding that it revealed that while the company was largely compliant, gaps remained in areas including occupational health and safety and UIF contributions.

Sibiya said that the department's role was not only to inspect workplaces and enforce compliance but to also guide and assist companies in meeting the required labour standards. 

He said that the focus will remain in Gauteng for now as it was the centre of the country's economy.

"We want South Africans to be prioritised. Our people want to work, and these jobs must be given to them."

He said the department would continue to collaborate with other government agencies, including the Department of Home Affairs, to ensure that all workplaces across Gauteng were fully compliant and that South Africans were protected in the labour market.