The Department of Employment and Labour's Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) in Gauteng conducted a multidisciplinary Blitz Inspection in Vereeniging, led by the Deputy Minister, Mr Jomo Sibiya, as part of the Joint Blitz Inspection Programme. The operation was carried out in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Services, Local Traffic Police, and Emfuleni Fire and Rescue Services.

The inspection focused on compliance with key labour and occupational health legislation, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the National Minimum Wage Act, the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), and Unemployment Insurance regulations. The company under inspection employs 78 workers: 36 South Africans and 42 foreign nationals.

Significant non-compliance was uncovered. Employees were found to have no employment contracts or payslips, were denied annual leave, and were paid below the national minimum wage. Under COIDA, the employer had failed to maintain employment records, submit the Return of Earnings, and pay assessments for the 2023–2025 period. The company was also not registered for Unemployment Insurance and had not declared its employees.

Improvement notices were issued, requiring machinery to be labelled in languages understood by all employees and the provision of oil spill dip trays. Prohibition notices were served to halt the use of a mixing plant emitting hazardous chemical dust, prohibit eating in production areas, stop forklift operations by untrained workers, and prevent the use of unsafe electrical systems, unstable stacking of sacks, worn-out machinery tyres, and indoor storage of 48kg LPG cylinders. The employer was further prohibited from allowing work in a factory not cleared by the Fire Chief and from using a steel container as a change room.

Additional contraventions included the employment of undocumented foreign nationals, leading to the detention of four individuals, including the employer. Authorities also discovered an unauthorized tunnel connecting to the municipal drainage system, which was referred to the Emfuleni Municipality.

Enforcement notices were issued on-site, and the Department's IES will monitor compliance closely. Failure to comply will result in referral to Statutory Services for prosecution.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Petunia Lessing: Director Media Liaison,

Petunia.Lessing@LABOUR.gov.za / 0663014645

Issued by the Department of Employment and Labour​