Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Jomo Sibiya, told Parliament that underplaying the role played by the Department's Inspection and Enforcement Services in the context of employment creation and job preservation would be a cardinal error.

Deputy Minister Sibiya was engaging in the Department's Budget Vote 31 debate in Parliament today, 03 July 2025. This after Minister Nomakhosazana Meth presented the Department of Employment and Labour's abridged Budget Vote for the financial year 2025/26.

Sibiya said it is common knowledge that the unemployment rate has crept to unacceptable levels. “The Decent Work Agenda, which is at the centre of the work done by the inspectorate, plays a significant role in preventing the haemorrhaging of jobs. The MTDP, which is a blueprint of the GNU, has singled out, amongst others, the matter of tackling poverty and reducing the cost of living", he said.

Deputy Minister said at the nucleus of Employment Laws, “is the matter of ensuring that the sheer numbers of the vulnerable workforce do not toil in vain".

He said the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA) are pivotal instruments in fortifying the right of workers to fair remuneration and standards of employment that bode well with worker rights.

According to Jomo Sibiya, for the financial year 2024/25, the Department's Inspection and Enforcement Services inspectors conducted 310,798 inspections across the country. “Of these, 168,884 were BCEA and NMWA and 107,808 were Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) inspections", he said.

Sibiya said in addition, the Department's Employer Audit Services inspectors conducted 30,053 inspections to test compliance with the Compensation of Injuries and Diseases Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, as well as the Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act. “Whilst the numbers are not small, the Department desires to cast its net as wide as possible", he said.

During all those inspections, R101 386 541 was enforced for various legislations, and   R78 669 849 was recovered on behalf of vulnerable workers in the form of underpayment of wages and salaries. Chairperson, Effectively, that was money that went to the pockets of the employees. A demonstration that we are obsessed with making a real difference in the lives of the workers of our country", Deputy Minister Sibiya said.

Sibiya revealed that the compliance levels of employers/workplaces inspected during the 2024/25 financial year were 89% for BCEA and NMW, 65% for OHSA, 40% for Employer Audits on UIA, 38% for Employment Equity Act (EEA), 31% for Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), and, overall, compliance nationally stands at an average of 53%.

Deputy Minister Sibiya told Parliament that the department has fine-tuned its delivery machinery and strategies to keep pace with the ever-evolving labour market. He said that the Department collaborates with sister departments and institutions such as the

Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Service, South African Revenue Services (SARS), Bargaining Councils, and municipal law enforcers to conduct national high-impact blitz inspections.

“To date, we have expanded these inspections to the following sectors: Hospitality, Construction, Agriculture, Textile and clothing, Chemical, as well as Wholesale and Retail sectors", Sibiya said.

According to Deputy Minister Sibiya, the approach has not only assisted the department to make an impact, but also complemented each other at a policy implementation level. In addition, he said this has also aided the department in amplifying its visibility as a joint force of government.

Deputy Minister Sibiya made the intentions of the department known in terms of its pursuit of an inclusive economic growth, involving the efforts that ensure economic transformation. “Our collective mission should be the one that sees to it that we leave no one behind. No one must be marginalised. No one must be discriminated against", he said.

He told the gathering that the interventions to the plight of people with disabilities ought to be intentional, purposeful, and, more importantly, produce the desired outcomes. “As a government, we must take decisive steps to place people with disabilities at the heart of inclusive economic growth. As such, I urge all spheres of government, public agencies, and society at large to throw their weight in support of our Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE), Sibiya said.

Sibiya humbly requested the gathering to support the entity. “We kindly request your support for the SEE, a brilliant government initiative of employing people with disabilities", he said.

According to Sibiya, the SEE currently employs over 1,000 people with disabilities and has the potential to grow this to over 3,000 disabled persons, “the most vulnerable in our society and nation".

On the issue of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), Sibiya flagged the entity as “our pride as a country".

Sibiya said the CCMA's 2025–2030 Strategic Plan that is titled 'The Momentum Empowering Progress, Embracing Change', is designed to meet evolving labour market demands and is built on three strategic thrusts: Resource Optimisation, Adaptation and Resilience; and User Experience.

He said the entity will continue to among others: Facilitate dispute resolution processes for referrals received under the Labour Relations Act and its related laws; Implement Dispute Management and Prevention strategies, including Section 150 interventions and pre-bargaining processes, to prevent industrial action and foster proactive resolution; Support economic resilience through collaborative interventions like the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) and assistance to companies undergoing restructuring (Section 189A) et cetera.

Deputy Minister Sibiya said the commitment and dedication of all role players in mitigating against job losses saw the CCMA facilitating processes resulting in 30 581of the 69,919 jobs of those employees who were facing retrenchment being saved.

“I have mentioned with pride" that the CCMA is our Jewel and a centre of excellence! Its impact is felt domestically, in Africa, and abroad. The CCMA delivered a strong overall performance of 90% against set targets, 31 -awaiting audit outcome, despite operating in a constrained economic environment", Sibiya concluded. 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson

082 697 0694/ teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za

-ENDS-

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour

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