The arrest forms part of an intensified enforcement operation targeting non-compliance in South Africa’s road-freight sector
South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport was working around the clock this past weekend as law enforcement agencies intensified road-freight enforcement across the province.
Month-end weekends are typically busy on South African roads, with authorities also dealing with offences such as drinking and driving. This weekend, however, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport announced the arrest of the owner of a freight and logistics company in connection with the employment of an undocumented foreign national truck driver.
According to Siboniso Armstrong Duma, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, the owner of Kris Freight Logistics violated Sections 38 and 49(3) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 by employing an undocumented foreign national.
“We salute female law enforcement officers for their firmness. For a very long time we have been warning the freight and logistics industry that there will be severe consequences against those employing undocumented foreign nationals. Our road networks should not be used by employers who are deliberately using cheap labour and those who are bypassing statutory working conditions. This has created tension and instability. Critically, we are aware of owners of trucking companies who are giving cash to foreign truck drivers to bribe traffic police. The same truck drivers are using certain routes at night to avoid detection,” said Duma.
The arrest formed part of the #NenzaniLaEzweni operation, a multidisciplinary enforcement initiative targeting road-freight and traffic offences in KwaZulu-Natal.
The number of undocumented foreign national truck drivers arrested during the operation over the weekend has since increased from eight to 12, according to the department.
The arrests highlight the continued scrutiny of the road-freight sector, particularly around compliance with immigration and employment laws. The department has warned freight and logistics operators that businesses employing undocumented workers could face legal consequences.