Ekurhuleni Inspection Finds Twinsaver Compliant, One Undocumented Worker Arrested

Twinsaver emerged largely compliant with labour, immigration, occupational health and safety and municipal requirements during an unannounced government inspection in Ekurhuleni on Tuesday, but authorities arrested an undocumented foreign national allegedly employed by one of its subcontractors.

The manufacturing company was the second major site targeted during a joint compliance and enforcement operation involving the Employment and Labour Department, Home Affairs, police and the City of Ekurhuleni.

Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya praised the company after inspectors found its directly employed workers had contracts, payslips and personal protective equipment.

“This is a pure South African company. A good story to tell. This company is complying with everything, with all our laws, labour laws, immigration laws and everything.” 

The inspection found no undocumented foreign nationals directly employed by Twinsaver.

“They are paying people at a minimum wage level. There are people who have contracts. They have payslips. They have PPE. Literally everything. There are no illegal foreign immigrants who are employed here,” Sibiya said.

Subcontractor under scrutiny

However, the inspection identified a compliance problem involving a subcontractor operating at the factory.

Sibiya said most subcontractors inspected were compliant, but one undocumented foreign national working for a subcontractor was arrested.

Twinsaver had given authorities assurances that it would tighten oversight of subcontractors operating on its premises.

“They have assured us that they are going to make sure that there’s no subcontractor who brings immigrants here,” he said, calling on companies using subcontractors to ensure those service providers comply with employment and immigration legislation.

‘A company to learn from’

The findings at Twinsaver stood in contrast to those made earlier at Africa Steel and Tube, where inspectors raised concerns about alleged underpayment, occupational safety issues and the suspected employment of undocumented foreign nationals.

At Twinsaver, Sibiya said inspectors were satisfied with occupational health and safety compliance.

“In terms of OHS, literally everything, they are just a good story to tell, a company to learn from,” he said.

The inspection was part of a broader enforcement drive aimed at checking compliance across several areas simultaneously, instead of government departments conducting isolated operations.

Sibiya said collaboration was necessary because Employment and Labour inspectors did not have jurisdiction or expertise over every violation encountered at businesses.

“We can only see the impact when we collaborate,” he said.

R850,000 municipal account paid on time

Twinsaver also received a positive assessment from the City of Ekurhuleni over its municipal payments.

Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza said the company’s account, amounting to about R850,000, was up to date.

“Their account is up to date, R850,000, just under a million. They pay it on time.” 

Xhakaza said payments by large businesses were important to the municipality’s ability to continue delivering services.

The mayor said the wider inspection campaign was also examining business licences, building control, zoning and land-use compliance, as well as payments for water and electricity.

“We check the by-law enforcement in terms of building control. The structures that are here, are they in a good condition to actually operate? 

“But most importantly we also check if they comply. They pay for services, they pay for water because those are important things.”

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