A regional leader of ActionSA in KwaZulu-Natal has denied allegations that his laundry business is flouting several labour laws and has hired illegal immigrants.
Faizel Cassim, who was ActionSA’s mayoral candidate for Newcastle Local Municipality during the November 2021 local government elections, says this is a smear campaign.
The accusation against him was made by a whistle-blower with the laundry business operating in Newcastle, in north-western KZN.
In a written report, the whistle-blower alleged that Cassim was flouting labour laws as he instructed them not to open the doors for the company when inspectors from the Department of Labour came to inspect the laundry.
The whistle-blower also alleged that they are not registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
The whistle-blower further alleged that Cassim was going against his party’s stance on illegal immigration by hiring undocumented foreign nationals.
Some of the alleged foreign nationals are allegedly from Lesotho, and they work during the day shift.
"I'm raising this also as I see that ActionSA is fighting for workers, but we have reported our very own leader to them and nothing has been done.
"We also work with undocumented immigrants," the whistle-blower, who asked not to be named, alleged.
But Cassim dismissed the allegations on Friday when he told IOL that this was a smear campaign as he rebuilt the business after it was shut down for almost two years.
"I do not have any foreign workers, as I know the law on this.
"Viva Labour Solutions is my labour broker and handles my labour issues," he said.
He said the same company he uses to procure the labour force is the same company that handles the issue of UIF for his entire staff.
"With regards to the UIF issue, etc., it is handled by the same labour broker. When I was illegally closed down, all my workers were retrenched and fully paid out.
"My broker handled everything for me."
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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