Farm workers forced to relieve themselves in sugarcane fields and labouring without contracts were among the disturbing findings during farm raids in Upper Tongaat last Friday.

At least 11 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested and multiple labour law violations were uncovered in the multi-agency operation, led by Ndwedwe municipality mayor Samuel Mfeka, in collaboration with Umhlali Saps, Home Affairs immigration officials and the Labour department.

Mfeka expressed outrage after witnessing the lack of basic sanitation and disregard for workers’ rights.

“There’s a banana and macadamia farm where workers had no access to toilets. They were forced to use the sugarcane plantation when they needed to relieve themselves. That’s inhumane,” he said.

“What frustrated me most was the farmers’ lack of remorse. We cannot allow this.”

Investigations revealed that several sugarcane labourers had no employment contracts, no payslips and no recourse for dismissal, making it impossible for them to lodge complaints with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) due to lack of proof of employment.

Labour officials also flagged safety concerns, including reports of truck drivers operating without licences while transporting sugarcane – a risk to both workers and road users.

The South African Farmers Development Association (Safda) said while it does not oversee daily farm operations, it promotes legal and fair labour practices among its members and discourages the employment of undocumented foreign nationals.

“We acknowledge the existing skills and limited availability of labour for certain specialised tasks, such as cane cutting. This particular area of work often attracts foreign nationals due to the low uptake among locals. To address this, we encourage South Africans to be more open-minded and flexible in their approach to job opportunities within the sector,” said Safda chairperson, Dr Siyabonga Madladla.

KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) CEO Sandy La Marque added that respecting both employer and employee rights is essential, especially amid high unemployment and poverty levels.

Ndwedwe municipality speaker Mduduzi Cele warned that some farm owners may be attempting to evade accountability by relocating workers ahead of inspections. He said undocumented workers were reportedly moved at 1am to another site in Glendale before their visit last week.

“This suggests the farmer may have been tipped off,” Cele said.

The operation forms part of a broader crackdown on illegal employment practices and the exploitation of undocumented workers, which authorities say is contributing to rising unemployment among citizens.

Just last month, 64 undocumented workers were arrested in a similar raid in Isithebe, near Mandeni, led by deputy Labour minister Jomo Sibiya.

“We are not against legal immigrants,” said Cele. “But some farmers exploit undocumented foreigners who will accept any wage and work under any conditions. This undercuts local job seekers and worsens poverty.”

He confirmed that ongoing operations will target not only farms but also businesses and retail outlets suspected of employing undocumented workers.

“We will not stop here. Compliance with labour and immigration laws is non-negotiable,” Cele said.

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