The Labour and Civic Organisation is leading thousands of young people in a march through Thembisa, calling for immediate employment opportunities in factories around Olifantsfontein. The group alleges that undocumented foreign nationals are being hired in non-critical, low-skilled positions and is demanding that South Africans be prioritised for these jobs.
During the march, the organisation secured an initial commitment from one company for the employment of 15 people. According to the chairperson of the Labour and Civic Organisation, the group’s target is to facilitate employment for over 200 people through engagements with multiple companies on the day.
Speaking at the event, the chairperson explained the organisation’s mission: “We are helping communities. We know that most of the communities in these areas are destitute. So we are trying to make sure that we eliminate hunger and we eliminate people that are not working in the locations.”
The chairperson highlighted a common complaint from companies that South Africans do not want to work, but stressed that the large turnout demonstrated otherwise. “We’ve got this number of people every time we have marches to prove that South Africans they want to work but the companies they don’t want to hire South Africans because they want to exploit foreign nationals,” the chairperson said.
The organisation conducts pre-march research, often based on tip-offs from community members, to verify claims of undocumented foreign workers before approaching factories. The chairperson noted that the group has already assisted 4,700 people in securing both skilled and unskilled employment through similar initiatives.
When asked how the organisation plans to ensure long-term opportunities beyond the march, the chairperson outlined their strategy of building ongoing relationships with companies. CVs collected during the march— with around 2,000 already on record from previous efforts—will be retained and distributed to employers as vacancies arise in areas such as Thembisa, Isando, and Spartan.
The chairperson assured that past marches have remained peaceful and that the group would leave a monitoring team behind to oversee commitments. Future engagements with companies will be conducted without large marches once relationships are established, allowing direct communication to address employment needs and workplace grievances.
The march reflects broader challenges of unemployment in the area, with participants gathering in large numbers in the hope of submitting their CVs and gaining employment in factories, warehouses, or franchises. The Labour and Civic Organisation intends to continue its campaign across surrounding industrial areas to tackle joblessness and prioritise local workers.
