DURBAN – The Road Freight Association (RFA) and ATDF-Allied South Africa (ATDF-ASA) have thrown their weight behind the recent arrests of undocumented foreign nationals at Westmead Mining, calling it a long-overdue move to restore order in the sector.
This comes after 20 employees were arrested at the trucking company during a raid led by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli and law enforcement. Some of those arrested are also wanted by police for unrelated criminal charges and will face court proceedings before deportation.
RFA CEO Gavin Kelly said the association had been calling for firm action for years. “If the Department of Labour had done this earlier, we would not have seen the rise of ATDF and the violence that followed – the burnings, the attacks, all of it,” he said.
Kelly emphasised that compliance shouldn’t just be about immigration laws, but also about proper adherence to the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
Meanwhile, ATDF-ASA secretary-general Gugu Sokhela said the organisation was pleased to see action being taken, noting that they had long warned about operators employing undocumented workers illegally.
Read | 50 non-compliance notices issued and 11 undocumented foreigners arrested in NW blitz
While acknowledging that business closures are unfortunate, Kelly insisted that employers who break the law must face consequences. “Law enforcement must act transparently and ensure due process. We’ve always said, deal with the companies who don’t play by the rules.”
The arrests at Westmead follow weeks of intensified enforcement across KZN, as the province clamps down on non-compliant employers including those in the freight and logistics industry.
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