As part of stringent measures to curb the rising unemployment and deal with illegal immigration in South Africa, the Labour and Employment Department has introduced the Job Reservation Bill in Parliament.
This was revealed by the department’s Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya on the sidelines of the South African Funeral Practitioners Association (SAFPA) international conference in Durban on Tuesday. The latest unemployment rate shows that more people are losing their jobs.
Sibiya said that with the rising number of unemployed people and the competition locals are getting from foreigners, the government, through his department, felt that there should be sectors where jobs should be reserved for locals.
He said the Bill has been introduced and made a call to the public to participate in the consultative process, as their views would be considered.
“As the government, particularly Labour and Employment, we are concerned about the rising number of unemployed people. Remember, it is our duty as a government to create a conducive environment for job creation and economic growth. Creating a Job Reservation Act is one of the tangible interventions to ease unemployment in the country,” said Sibiya.
He further urged local industries, including the burial sector, to prioritise locals for employment before the Bill is passed in Parliament, warning that there would come heavy penalties for contravention.
Sibiya stated that the Job Reservation Act will supplement the existing Act that requires local companies and the government to apply to his department to go outside the country and look for skills that are not available inside the country.
“We have noticed that a government policy clearly stipulates that foreigners can only be employed if they have skills that locals do not possess. Companies are not doing that and just take foreigners from the street and make them waiters or waitresses, which can be easily done by locals. The Bill is addressing that and will come with heavy fines to discourage local companies from employing foreigners. We are calling on local companies to assist us by prioritising locals for employment, as the country faces illegal immigration protests,” said Sibiya.
Once the Bill is passed into an Act, it is expected to reserve jobs for locals, especially in industries such as trucking, hospitality, domestic work, and other sectors of the economy. Local drivers have been complaining and even blockading the N3 freeway at the Mooi River Toll Plaza, demanding the removal of foreign drivers.
The hospitality sector is another one that is said to prefer foreigners because of cheap labour. Lately, it has been alleged that local households are importing undocumented domestic workers for employment and paying them less.
The SAFPA President, Dr Nomfundo Mcoyi, of Icebolethu Funeral Group, welcomed the government announcement, saying that her industry will benefit from the Bill since more locals would be employed and be able to buy funeral policies and bury their loved ones in a dignified manner.
The four-day conference, which attracted delegates as far as the US, Colombia, and many African countries, opened on Sunday and will end on Wednesday. It is expected to also boost the eThekwini economy.
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