Bredell businessman and his sons sleep in cells
The next morning, without appearing in court, they were released.
A Bredell businessman and his two sons spent a night in the cells at Kempton Park Police Station after the City of Ekurhuleni closed down their business for allegedly not following Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
The next morning, without appearing in court, they were released.
According to Sgt Dipuo Ditshego, spokesperson for Kempton Park SAPS, investigations are continuing.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the City of Ekurhuleni said over 30 male employees had been locked inside a workshop at LR Mega Centre since the inception of the lockdown. The company specialises in mechanical repairs and vehicle recycling.
The statement referred to MEC Frans Mmoko’s “major concern” about the “appalling living conditions inside the workshop as it posed serious health risks and did not follow Covid-19 hygiene rules”.
He claimed there was no social distancing, no sanitisation and the employees did not have face masks.
Owner Jack Oosthuizen spoke to Kempton Express at his business premises on Monday.
“At first they wanted to arrest everybody. It was later decided to arrest only my two sons, Sarel and Jaco, and myself.”
Oosthuizen said there were 24 workers on site on the day they were arrested. He said they were not locked up in a workshop and had free roam on the small holding.
Face masks and gloves were not worn because all these people had been working together from long before the lockdown, and during lockdown. Nobody was exposed to external people. They were offered immune boosters from two weeks before the lockdown, which they took for the duration of their stay.
“We have CCTV footage of their activity, day and night, around the workshop, showing free access in and out.
“There are two showers and two toilets on the smallholding, as well as a third toilet in the administration office. Extra facilities, as far as was possible on the one day we had to prepare, were established.
“Everyone was informed they could go home if they wanted to, on the condition they might not be allowed back onto the property once they have left, until after the lockdown. We provided them with food, mattresses, soap and washing powder. Sadly, extra blankets we ordered only arrived on the day of the arrest.
“All the workers with predisposed illnesses were cared for in terms of sufficient medication during lockdown.”
Ditshego confirmed the employees stayed on the premises of their own free will. She said the owner and employees assured police nobody was locked up by force as there was a mutual understanding.
One of Oosthuizen’s workers, Takalani Ramusibili (52) from Thembisa, told Express on Monday: “We did sit down with management to come to work because we have to earn a living. It was our individual choices.”
Ramusibili confirmed they were equipped with sufficient means to bathe.
“I wanted to avoid travel to the location because it was not safe for us. A lot of people socialise which makes it easier to be exposed to the virus there,” Ramusibili said.
“We got breakfast, lunch and supper. All was good.”
On Monday, all employees were wearing masks and gloves, as they were now coming in and leaving on a daily basis.
Since the arrest, all workers returned home, except for one unmarried South African who said he felt safer at the workshop and didn’t want to leave. He was allowed to stay.
