Fikile Mbalula says President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government will recruit 10,000 additional labour inspectors to strengthen enforcement against businesses employing undocumented foreign nationals, amid growing public concern over illegal immigration and compliance with labour laws.
Mbalula briefed the media on Tuesday at Luthuli House in Johannesburg following the African National Congress National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held over the weekend.
He said the inspectors would be appointed through the Department of Employment and Labour and deployed to identify employers circumventing labour regulations by hiring individuals not authorised to work in South Africa.
“The cost of compliance with the law is borne by the lawful employer and by the lawful worker. The African National Congress government will ensure that those who externalise that cost onto our communities and onto our country face the full might of the law,” Mbalula said.
He added that the inspectors would be trained and empowered to investigate workplaces suspected of violating labour and immigration legislation.
“The President of the Republic announced the rollout of 10,000 additional posts in the Department of Employment and Labour. These positions will be filled and the recruits trained as labour inspectors.
“They will be South African inspectors empowered to intercept the unlawful employment of any person not authorised by South African law to work for enterprises operating in our country,” he said.
Mbalula rejected criticism that government’s actions on illegal immigration were merely a response to mounting public pressure, insisting that the ANC’s measures formed part of a broader and ongoing programme to strengthen law enforcement and border management.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions in several communities where residents and civic groups have conducted inspections of businesses suspected of employing undocumented migrants. The actions have fuelled debate around immigration enforcement, unemployment and vigilantism.
Mbalula urged South Africans not to take the law into their own hands, warning that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state.
“We ask our people once again to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. When we do so, we allow critics to label us and shame us as a vigilante society,” he said.
As part of government’s broader strategy, Mbalula said the Border Management Authority has begun upgrading at least six major ports of entry.
The project includes the introduction of new surveillance technologies aimed at improving the monitoring of cross-border movement and identifying individuals who overstay visas or violate immigration regulations.
According to Mbalula, the upgraded system will feature real-time monitoring capabilities, including drone technology designed to strengthen border security along South Africa’s extensive land borders.
He also said the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) continues its work within the Department of Home Affairs to combat corruption and strengthen immigration administration.
Why It Matters
The ANC’s announcement comes against the backdrop of South Africa’s persistently high unemployment rate, particularly among young people, and growing public pressure on government to tighten immigration controls.
The deployment of 10,000 labour inspectors represents one of the most significant expansions of labour-law enforcement in recent years and is likely to be closely watched by business organisations, labour unions and migrant rights groups.
While government argues that stricter enforcement will protect lawful employment and improve compliance with labour legislation, critics are expected to scrutinise whether the initiative will meaningfully address unemployment and whether it can be implemented without infringing on the rights of documented migrant workers and asylum seekers.
The announcement also signals that immigration and border security are set to remain major political issues as the ANC seeks to demonstrate a tougher stance on law enforcement and economic regulation.
