We're coming to get you‚ Gigaba warns businesses employing undocumented foreigners

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has vowed to crack down on businesses that hire undocumented foreigners‚ saying it stoked tension between foreign nationals and locals.

Gigaba was referring to the arrests in Pretoria of scores of undocumented foreign nationals employed by three Spar supermarkets.

Speaking in Cape Town on Thursday‚ the minister said 19 women and 28 men had been arrested at Montana Spar. The manager had been charged for contravening the country's labour and immigration laws.

He said a further six women as well and nine men had been arrested at Zambezi Spar and that manager would be charged. One employee had been arrested at Doornpoort Spar‚ but the manager had not been present.

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“In many cases business incentivises irregular migration‚ and those contributing to questionable labour practices must be held to account. It is far easier and convenient for some to target desperate and vulnerable migrants than the unscrupulous employers who deliberately fuel tensions in the labour market‚” Gigaba said.

He has directed his office to set up a meeting with Spar management.

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The minister said his department would now target businesses that employed undocumented foreigners.

He said the government was working with business on ensuring compliance with labour laws.

“[Businesses] should not fuel tensions‚ playing locals against foreigners‚ but should be on the side of the law‚” Gigaba said.

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Gigaba said they were seeking the commitment of the hospitality sector on the need to comply with the law‚ especially the requirement of employing a minimum of 60% local people.

“This is the message we are taking to the rest of business‚ and will feature strongly in our upcoming meetings. There will be workplace inspections and penalties for employing undocumented foreigners will be imposed‚” the minister said.