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The Department of Employment and Labour’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) inspectors have prohibited the construction operations of a mall in Johannesburg yesterday (01 February 2024), pending the constructor’s compliance with the South African labour laws.

The mall under construction on Main Reef Road and Dorado Avenue, has been swooped by a number of inspectors from the Department of Employment and Labour, in collaboration with the South African Police Service, the Department of Home Affairs immigration unit and the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens.

Yesterday’s (01 February 2024) blitz inspection has led to the arrest of a number of African and Asian foreign nationals working at the construction site under the Central Bridge Construction Company and were taken in for legal work permits and immigration documents verification by the South African Police Service and the Home Affairs immigration unit.

The Department of Employment and Labour’s Gauteng Provincial Chief Inspector, Advocate Michael Msiza, said the mall constructors have been served with a prohibition notice to operate on the site.

“In the joint operations (inspections), we are focusing on the construction sector in which today we decided to come to Crown Mines where it is alleged there is a construction of a mall and when we arrived here we found non-compliance in terms of Occupational Health and Safety Act because there is no risk assessment that we found. And we found people (onsite) sleeping in very appalling conditions.

“So, as a result of that, we are then prohibiting the place from continuing with operations and we are aware that the Department of Home Affairs has taken in a lot of people who they suspect that they might be in the country (South Africa) without documentation,” said Advocate Msiza.

Advocate Msiza said the construction company has not even revealed if they have a first aid kit to look after injured workers at the construction site. 

The Department’s inspectors are looking into the level of compliance by employers in the construction industry in accordance with various South African Government labour laws such as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Unemployment Insurance Act (UIA), Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Disease Act (COIDA) and the Occupational Health and Safety (OHSA).

For more information, contact:

Mishack Magakwe

Communication Officer, Gauteng Provincial Office

Contact: 082 908 1828 / Mishack.magakwe@labour.gov.za

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Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour​