An old, two-plate stove, covered in dried-up mielie pap, is the first object you see as you enter the “staff kitchen” at Jiebo Home Trading in Industria, west of Johannesburg. From the fire-charred walls to the gravy-stained floors, the place is airless and filthy.
Mohammed’s workstation, a few steps away from the kitchen and the bathroom, is where he sews the edges of blankets for at least 10 hours a day, seven days a week. He uses an old Kingstar machine. On a good day, he can produce up to 20 blankets, earning a maximum of R100. Many Malawians make the journey to South Africa by bus, but Mohammed travelled in a small pick-up truck with eight passengers: two in the front and six at the back. He was one of the people in the back who slept, ate and chatted on one mattress for the duration of the 25-hour-long trip. It cost R750, a bargain compared to the R1 500 bus fare.
The authorities found that Jiebo was not complying with safety standards. “There is no ventilation, chemicals and dust everywhere and basic housekeeping rules were not adhered to,” says labour department deputy director-general in charge of inspection and enforcement, Aggy Moiloa. Documents from the Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission show the company was first registered in 2009, with Chinese citizen Jie Zhang listed as its sole director.
Not a surprise
There are so many things to consider. So the status of a foreign nation is more important than what a foreign nationality does in South Africa? Stick to your guns deptoflabour DIRCO_ZA
Good going(for a change) to the Labour Dept.......and not a word from the president against our future capturers' citizens running sweatshops under his watch. Also, when will the dept. act against the big local names exploiting our children and flouting the BCEA on a daily basis?
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