Ndwedwe mayor Samuel Mfeka has vowed to come down hard on anyone hiring or housing illegal foreigners.

Speaking at a local crime imbizo at Intapuka Community Hall in Ndwedwe last Friday, he said the municipality had taken a firm stand.

“As the municipality, we have agreed that we do not need illegal immigrants in Ndwedwe,” he said.

“It is disappointing that some of our people encourage this by being too lazy to work. Instead of running their own shops, they rent them out to foreigners.” he said.

His remarks were met with loud applause from residents, who also called on police to act against landlords who rent rooms to undocumented foreigners.

Mfeka’s warning followed a multi-department inspection in Ndwedwe earlier in the week, led by employment and labour deputy minister Jomo Sibiya, home affairs deputy minister Njabulo Nzuza, public works and infrastructure deputy minister Sihle Zikalala and the South African Police Service.

During the operation, 25 undocumented foreign nationals and two employers were arrested. Raids targeted farms in Upper Tongaat and shops in Bhamshela.

Sibiya said some workers ran away when inspectors arrived, and several employers were not registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund or paying the national minimum wage.

“We cannot allow employers to break the law by hiring undocumented workers and ignoring safety rules. Every worker deserves fair treatment and proper working conditions,” said Sibiya.

Inspectors also found expired and unlabelled goods, unsafe buildings, and poor electrical wiring. Two shops were closed, while others received prohibition notices.

The African National Congress in Mshwathi also marched to a farm in Upper Tongaat on October 10, after workers were allegedly fired following an earlier raid in May.

During the raid in May, led by Mfeka, severe labour abuses were discovered, including a lack of sanitation and workers hired without payslips or contracts. Eleven undocumented foreigners were arrested during that operation.

Authorities also found unlicensed truck drivers and warned that some farmers may be moving workers to avoid detection.

At the time, South African Farmers Development Association chairperson Dr Siyabonga Madladla said the organisation supports legal and fair labour practices but noted that cane cutting often attracts foreigners because locals show little interest in such jobs.

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