EFF visit ‘a good idea’, but approach comes across as ‘intimidation’ – analyst

The “oversight visit” by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema to restaurants in Midrand, to check employment ratios between South African citizens and foreign nationals has met with criticism.

Labour expert Tony Healy said there was no law that restricted the number of foreigners in employment, which was why no labour inspectors did oversight visits or compared employment ratios in private establishments.

“Political parties have no entitlement in law to interfere with an employer’s decision regarding their employment practices. That right is limited to registered trade unions,” he said.

The Democratic Alliance’s shadow minister of employment and labour Michael Cardo said the EFF’s visit was workplace terrorism and nothing more than a desperate exercise in xenophobic, political grandstanding, masquerading as legislative oversight.

The department of employment and labour also condemned the EFF’s visit and said the government was dealing with regulations concerning the employment of foreign workers.

“It is imperative to wait for the process to be completed, rather than parties acting outside the law,” said department spokesperson Sabelo Mali.

The current legislation was founded on protecting all employees regardless of nationality as long as an employment relationship could be identified.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said while the oversight visit was a good idea, the EFF’s approach came across as intimidation.