Africa-Press – South-Africa. Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya says South Africa needs to take a far more aggressive stance against companies that repeatedly break labour laws.
Speaking during an inspection blitz in Gauteng this week, he said the department will compile a ‘hit list’ of serial offenders to ensure they receive special attention from inspectors to ensure compliance.
Sibiya said the Inspection and Enforcement Services branch must urgently identify the companies that consistently ignore labour rules so inspectors can get ahead of ongoing violations.
He added that it is becoming increasingly clear that some employers are intentionally cutting corners and simply factoring fines into their operating costs.
He stressed that the department must be “agile and a step ahead” to prevent companies from treating labour laws as optional.
The department launched an inter-departmental inspection blitz in Gauteng on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, bringing together several government entities to conduct coordinated workplace oversight.
The initiative included the Department of Employment and Labour, the Department of Home Affairs, the South African Police Service, and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department.
Inspections began in Sedibeng (Vereeniging) and later moved to the Devland commercial hub in the south of Johannesburg.
The Devland inspections revealed widespread violations across several businesses. One of the companies inspected, which employs around 138 people, was issued with multiple compliance and prohibition notices.
Inspectors found the company had failed to comply with unemployment insurance requirements and had no records for the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.
Under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the company had not issued some workers with contracts, was underpaying employees, and was not providing payslips.
Additionally, inspectors issued prohibition notices for unsafe lifting machinery, insufficient firefighting equipment, ergonomic risks, poorly serviced machinery and poor housekeeping.
Another business, which employs roughly 400 workers, was found to have similarly serious non-compliance issues.
Arrests are already being made
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya
Inspectors reported that the company did not provide employment contracts, allowed limited rest periods due to operations running seven days a week, and underpaid foreign nationals at rates below the National Minimum Wage.
The business was also issued with a compliance order for failing to meet unemployment insurance and COID Act requirements, alongside occupational health and safety violations.
The inspection blitz has already led to the arrest of three employers and more than 20 undocumented foreign nationals.
Sibiya stressed that the intention behind these operations is not to embarrass businesses but to ensure they comply with the country’s labour laws while also educating them.
However, he warned that there are clear patterns of repeated non-compliance in several high-risk sectors, which is why the department must intensify its efforts.
According to Sibiya, violations continue to rise across critical pieces of legislation, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Compensation for Injuries and Diseases Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, and the National Minimum Wage Act.
He said the department cannot afford to be complacent, even as it makes progress in some areas.
The demand for labour inspections is growing rapidly, and despite three decades of democracy, many workers still endure hazardous conditions and employers who disregard basic employment standards.
As part of this response, the department is implementing Project 20K, a plan to significantly expand the visibility and reach of labour inspectors by adding 20,000 intern inspectors over the current Medium-Term Strategic Framework period.
The goal is to strengthen enforcement capacity so that repeated offenders can no longer slip through the cracks.
Sibiya outlined these concerns and plans while addressing the department’s Employment Standards Conference, which brings together inspectors who oversee compliance with labour laws.
These laws include the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Employment Equity Act, Unemployment Insurance Contributions, and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.
He said strengthening enforcement is essential for the country’s economic and social well-being, adding that building a dedicated list of serial offenders will help ensure that the department can target its resources effectively.
The goal, he said, is not only to root out non-compliance but to protect workers, raise employment standards, and ensure that South Africa’s workplaces are safe, fair and lawful.
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