Scores of protesters gathered next to GapeGate shopping Centre on Friday to stage a demonstration against undocumented migrant workers under the banner of Operation Dudula, which means “force out” in Zulu.
Members of the organisation say they can no longer do nothing as local businesses employ undocumented foreign nationals while South Africans remain unemployed.
“They can’t ignore us and ignore the law anymore,” said organiser Vuyo Tshongweni.
“In terms of immigration and labour legislation foreign nationals should only be hired on a critical or rare skills basis and must be on a transfer of skills basis by such foreign nationals to South Africans for a prescribed period of time. Low earning jobs should be given to South Africans.”
The organisation handed over memorandums to several business owners in the area who they say hire foreign nationals.
In the memorandum they demanded that employers put South Africans first, in particular the youth, when hiring.
According to Tshongweni it negatively affects the unemployment rate in South Africa when businesses hire foreign nationals, especially those who are undocumented.
“We have educated and skilled youngsters who cannot find jobs because employers choose to hire foreign nationals for whom they need not to comply to minimum wages or basic conditions of employment. It is all about cheap labour,” he said.
Tshongweni added that he was concerned about the high unemployment rate among the youth in Cape Town.
“Unemployment negatively affects the economy of our country. Without jobs our youth are vulnerable and they need these job opportunities for the local economy to be stimulated.”
Gcobisa Bani (33) from Philippi has been unemployed for years.
“At the moment I survive on my government grant only. It is very hard if not impossible to get a job. There are many foreigners in the township that have jobs and they get jobs for their friends too. Yet we struggle to get these same jobs. It is unfair,” she says.
In terms of the memorandum the businesses who signed receipts were given 14 days to implement and comply with the notice of demands; of which failure to do so Operation Dudula will rope in the help of Home Affairs to verify the identification documents of all the employees at the various companies.
