SUNNINGHILL, JOHANNESBURG — A sweeping Sunninghill construction blitz spearheaded by Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has led to the arrest of 66 illegal immigrants and one employer, exposing a web of severe labour and safety violations in the city’s northern suburbs.
The joint task force descended upon a sprawling factory and building complex on Friday, initially discovering nearly 90 illegal immigrants on the premises. However, officials noted that the true scale of the non-compliance was likely higher due to deliberate evasion tactics. Deputy Minister Sibiya revealed that intelligence indicated some businesses within the complex had shifted exclusively to night shifts to avoid detection, while others actively scrambled to hide or remove their workforce just moments before inspectors arrived.
While one facility in the complex was found to be employing hundreds of South African nationals, the working conditions remained dire. Investigators uncovered a blatant disregard for the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Employees were deprived of mandatory salary slips, paid below the legal minimum wage, and denied paid sick leave—even when presenting legitimate medical certificates from doctors.
The occupational health and safety failures uncovered during the raid were described by officials as a disaster waiting to happen. Inspectors entered confined spaces housing around 100 workers simultaneously, only to find massive structural holes, a complete lack of windows, and zero ventilation. Furthermore, the sites lacked basic risk assessments, medical clearances for staff, and on-site first aiders. Crucially, subcontractors had failed to appoint a competent construction manager, a mandatory legal requirement for such operations.
Beyond the Labour Relations Act breaches, the immigration violations were highly specific and widespread. Authorities arrested the 66 illegal immigrants alongside the lead employer, citing multiple infractions. These included Section 49 violations for those lacking valid work permits entirely, and Section 49(6) breaches involving individuals who were illegally working while merely holding a VFS receipt pending a visa decision. Officers also intercepted suspects using fraudulent passports under Section 40 and 914 of the Immigration Act.
In response to the systemic failures, authorities have slapped the main contractor with strict prohibition notices. Mayor Morero emphasized that the primary contractor is now fully responsible for reining in their subcontractors and ensuring total regulatory adherence. The site will remain shut down, and work will only be permitted to resume once a comprehensive protection plan is implemented and all legal prohibitions are cleared.
The City of Johannesburg and the Department of Employment and Labour maintain that these aggressive, multi-disciplinary raids will persist until total compliance is restored across the region’s business sector, ensuring that both municipal by-laws and national labour standards are strictly enforced.
