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Dozens of traders and illegal immigrants ran for cover as a joint multi-departmental inspections blitz descended at downtown Marabastad in Pretoria today, 08 August 2022 in an operation that led to the closure of the Tshwane fruit and vegetable market in Marabastad. 

The joint inspection blitz was led by Department of Employment and Labour in partnership with the South African Police Service and the Department of Home Affairs’ Immigration Unit. The blitz was intended to check on compliance with a suite of labour laws, compliance to immigration legislation and also deal with criminality in the area.

During the joint inspection more than 20 people were arrested for - being illegal immigrants, employing illegal immigrants and employers who obstructed the inspectors from conducting their duties. It is illegal of an employer to interfere with the inspector when on duty.

The blitz inspection also included a visit to the Oriental Retail Complex and nearby businesses – where two retail stores were also shut down for failure to comply with Occupational Health and Safety issues. 

The hustle and bustle area of Marabastad is located on west of the Pretoria central business district. The area has a mix of shops from those trading in “muti”, retailers, cafes, vendors amongst other. 

Department of Employment and Labour Chief Director: Statutory & Advocacy Services in the Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch, Advocate Fikiswa Bede said the blitz inspection conducted at Marabastad Retail Market was led by the National Roving Team (NRT). She said the NRT of inspectors was beginning to have a telling impact across the country. 

According to Bede the National Roving Team was established in 2021. The key element of the NRT is to bring together a team of inspectors from different provinces who are specialist in various disciplines of labour legislation such as the Unemployment Insurance Fund, Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the Labour Relations Act (LRA), the National Minimum Wage (NMW); bring about co-operation; bring a new culture of performance; and also provide mentoring and coaching to new inspectors. 

The National Roving Team has also been involved in a number of mega blitz inspections that have been conducted in provinces such as the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, Mpumalanga among others. 

The Tshwane fruit and vegetable market in Marabastad was served with a prohibition notice. In terms of an inspectors report the market has been shut down because conditions threaten, or are likely to threaten the health and/or safety of persons in terms of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act of 1993. 

Traders at the market have been prohibited from the use of the building due to lack of fire-fighting equipment at strategic locations; operating in premises with open electrical wires; non-compliance with electrical installation which poses risk of electrocution and fire. 

The prohibition notice will be removed once the owners of the building comply with the notice. 

 Bede said Marabastad was becoming a high risk area for non-compliance with labour legislation and needed a sustained attention. She said she was concerned that many of traders in the area seemed oblivious to issues of compliance.  

“It is either people here are ignorant of the law or they are just carrying on with their business without regards of consequences,” she said. 

An immigration official during the blitz said there was a need for follow-up inspections to hit hard on non-compliance. 

Issued by Department of Employment and Labour