TWENTY-ONE jobseekers who have been touting for work outside Builders Warehouse in Lonehill have been rounded up and nabbed by police.
They are facing loitering charges while seven were arrested for illegal camping on 13 and 14 July.
This joint crackdown by the police and Metro police followed after Fourways Review exposed the ugly shenanigans unfolding outside Builders Warehouse where jobseekers occasionally clash with contractors and private homeowners.
Douglasdale Police Station Spokesman, Warrant Officer Balan Muthan said the joint operation involving police officers and Metro police officers was designed to instil order and calm in the neighbourhood by removing loiterers.
He urged local contractors to desist from the habit of relying on cheap labour provided by the jobseekers which, he said, was encouraging loitering in the neighbourhood. “We have received numerous complaints from community members about jobseekers outside the hardware store harassing customers and loitering around.
“These operations will be held on a regular basis as the police and Metro police have committed to cleaning up that specific area.”
In a series of articles, Fourways Review has exposed how the area outside Builders Warehouse has been turned into a battle ground by jobseekers who occasionally beat up customers, allegedly for not paying them.
The paper last week carried an expose of Christopher Marais who was attacked by his former employee over an outstanding payment of R550.
Fourways Review tracked down another contractor, Mike Smith of Magic Maintenance, over his failure to pay one jobseeker, Zety Maphosa. Smith said he will honour his debt and would pay Maphosa on 14 July. “I believe R500 will be paid [to Maphosa today], end of story,” said Smith when this paper confronted him with the allegations.
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“I asked him for his banking details a few hours ago but he asked that I e-wallet it instead, I can’t e-wallet from my phone, so I am going to the bank to do it. I have a good relationship with Zety as we have worked together for over half a year and I’ve always paid him.”
Meanwhile, Builders Warehouse spokesperson, Elzette van Niekerk, distanced the company from private arrangements between jobseekers and contractors.
Van Niekerk maintained that the fights were unfolding in a public road which had nothing to do with Builders Warehouse. “The incident to which you refer, occurred on the public road outside our store and involved a private dispute between a contractor and an informal work seeker, who alleges not to have been paid for services rendered to the contractor. “Informal work seekers are attracted to congregate in the public area outside our stores for precisely the reason that they are frequently employed by both contractors and private homeowners.”
Van Zyl added that there was no legal restriction which Builders Warehouse could use to prevent jobseekers from pursuing employment opportunities outside their gate.
She also said the company had unsuccessfully attempted to mediate between jobseekers and contractors. “Although we have attempted, on numerous occasions, to manage and co-ordinate contractor and private homeowner demand for these services, our initiatives, which have been dependent upon voluntary co-operation, have enjoyed limited success.”
Van Niekerk, however, said the company was open to investing in any constructive idea with a positive outcome that accommodates the needs of contractors and private homeowners, without compromising the rights of residents and informal jobseekers.
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