Two Chinese business owners were arrested last week during a co-ordinated inspection blitz in Newcastle’s Riverside Industrial area.

The joint operation, led by the Department of Employment and Labour, involved the SAPS and Department of Home Affairs, and was overseen by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour. Inspections were conducted over several days.

34 undocumented foreign nationals were also arrested after being found working at textile factories without valid permits.

According to the Department of Employment and Labour, some factory owners attempted to evade inspectors by locking themselves inside their premises, while others fled during the operation.

“During the inspection, the joint inter-departmental operation once again found dozens of illegal workers residing on the premises of clothing and textile factories,” the department said.

The department warned that exploitative factories that disregard labour and safety laws pose a serious and potentially fatal risk to workers.

The inspection led to the issuing of a prohibition notice.

“The clothing/textile company was issued with the notice following its failure to have safe electrical installations; failure to register and produce a steam generator certificate; and failure to comply with the Unemployment Insurance Act, among others,” said the department.

Farm closed over alleged safety breaches

The oversight visit also included inspections at a farm in the Normandien area, which was temporarily shut down over alleged health and safety violations.

The department said inspectors found the farm to be non-compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Workers were allegedly operating without personal protective equipment (PPE), while some injuries sustained on duty had not been reported.

A prohibition notice was issued after inspectors found workers eating meals in dusty work areas. A contravention notice was also issued relating to inadequate toilet facilities.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Chief Inspector Mlungisi Zondi addressed workers on-site, explaining the implications of the prohibition notice and what it meant for their employment.

Owners arrested during oversight blitz

The business owners operating in the Riverside Industrial area were arrested on February 5 during the oversight inspection by the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour.

The department alleged that the owners of the sweatshop had been contravening immigration laws by employing foreign nationals on holiday visas since 2018.

“They were taken to the local police station for processing,” the department said.

Workers allegedly hide during inspections

Inspectors further alleged that several undocumented workers attempted to evade arrest by locking themselves inside living quarters during the inspection.

“The living conditions in the quarters left much to be desired,” the department added.

Retailers accused of supporting sweatshops

Juliet Basson, a Patriotic Alliance Member of Parliament serving on the Portfolio Committee, recorded video footage during one of the Riverside raids.

In the footage shared widely across social media platforms, Basson revealed hundreds of boxes of clothing bearing labels of well-known South African retail brands. She criticised consumers for supporting businesses accused of exploiting women and children, who allegedly work long hours for wages far below the legal minimum.

Basson also highlighted poor living conditions and inadequate ablution facilities, saying workers’ livelihoods were severely affected by sweatshop operations allegedly supported by major retailers.

The Portfolio Committee has now called on large retail clothing chains linked to these factories to account for how and where their garments are manufactured.

WATCH: Juliet Basson exposes ‘sweatshop’ operations:

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us on our WhatsApp Channel