The Minister of Labour and Employment Nomakhosazana Meth has announced that her department is in the process of recruiting 10 000 intern inspectors from the end of this month.
She was delivering a keynote address at the 2025 NEDLAC Annual Labour School held in Pretoria on Wednesday morning.
“I’m pleased to announce that the inspector advertisement for the first cohort of 10 000 of interns will be published in the Public Service vacancy circular on 31 January 2025.
The remaining 10 000 will then be recruited next year.
The 20 000 additional labour inspectors will assist us to effectively reinforce the department’s institutional capacity to meet its mandate,” said Meth.
According to StatsSA, the country’s official unemployment rate hovers above 30% with the expanded figure exceeding 40%
Youth unemployment rate stood at 45.5% in the third quarter of 2024.
The minister said these statistics are a sign that “communities are in a crisis of poverty, social tension and lost economic potential.”
Moreover, Meth emphasised that close collaboration with labour federations is integral to shaping equitable policies and effective enforcement.
In addition, the minister said the department is looking forward to working with labour unions and employer organisations as it aims to improve labour law compliance, especially in under-monitored sectors such as domestic work, agriculture public sector and the informal economy.
“Our increased actions should serve as a deterrent toward wrongdoing hence the work of inspection and enforcement services of the department is critical in safeguarding workers’ rights, ensuring compliance with labour laws and upholding fair practices.
This priority speaks directly to the need for enhanced capacity in our labour inspectorate, ensuring that the protections afforded by our laws are implemented on the ground,” explained the minister.
Meth said to fulfil their responsibilities, it is crucial for government and organised labour to work together to tackle challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty.