A ring that unlawfully recruits and exploits illegal immigrants from
Zimbabwe was this week bust in Limpopo.
In a joint operation involving Labour inspectors, the Department of
Home Affairs, the Human Rights Commission and the police, scores of
illegal workers were arrested in several farms in the Mopane area of
Musina on Monday and Tuesday.
Even at the farms where some of the workers were found to be either
South Africans or aliens with valid permits, inspectors found gross
violations of worker rights, where they are required to work up to ten
hours per day, with wages as low as R107 per month.
At the Delft tomato and maize farm, officials arrested 48 illegal
aliens, 47 of whom managed to flee and evade deportation.
Together with 51 local labourers, the aliens work seven days a week
for monthly wages of between R330 and R1 200 each.
The employer, who was not at the workplace at the time, was also
found to be flouting labour laws regulating overtime payment.
At a pepper and beans farm nearby, 50 illegal aliens were found to
be working nine hours per day Monday to Friday for wages raging between
R107 and R900 per month.
At a pumpkin producing farm, 13 illegals were working nine hours per
day for a measly remuneration of between R700 and R950 per month. The
farmer, who is also suspected of violating the Unemployment Insurance
and the Compensation Funds, could not produce the required
documentation, claiming it was with the bookkeeper who was not present
at the time.
Another crop farmer was found to be deducting UIF even from the
aliens but none of the contributions are ever handed over to the
Department of Labour as required by law.
The officials could not access many other farms which were mostly
locked up but follow-up inspections are lined up for the very near
future.
Labour spokesperson Zolisa Sigabi today (Wed) warned the crackdown
would be intensified in the area until the government was satisfied
that illegal immigration and workplace exploitation were nipped in the
bud.
