Page 14 - Jan Edition 2025_Neat

Delivery driver crackdown looms in
South Africa
The South African Departments of
Home Affairs and Employment
and Labour are intensifying efforts
to address illegal immigration and
the employment of foreign
nationals in the country, with
delivery drivers and riders
potentially becoming a focal point
of their crackdown.
In response to parliamentary
inquiries from Inkatha Freedom
Party MP Liezl van der Merwe,
Home Affairs Minister Leon
Schreiber stated that his
department could not disclose
specific details about its plans to
combat illegal employment in
certain sectors. However, he
confirmed that intelligence is
being gathered on the illegal
employment of e-hailing and
delivery drivers.
Schreiber explained that joint
operations and inspections are
carried out following the collection
of intelligence on the operations of
specific sectors. These operations
are designed to be discreet, with
the teams involved unaware of the
ongoing intelligence-gathering
phase.
Information on illegal employment
in the e-hailing and delivery driver
sectors is obtained through
roadblocks and stop-and-search
operations. Schreiber noted that
due to the mobile nature of e-
hailing, drivers are often targeted
during these searches.
LHR Motorcycle Magazine Issue 09
The operations targeting illegal
employment will also incorporate
e-commerce businesses, as part
of broader initiatives like
Operation Siyasebenta by Home
Affairs, the Blitz Operation by the
Department of Employment and
Labour, and Operation Shanela
led by the South African Police
Service (SAPS).
Home Affairs and Employment
and Labour have already been
conducting raids on businesses in
the hospitality sector to identify
and remove foreign nationals
working illegally. Minister of
E m p l o y m e n t a n d L a b o u r
Nomakhozana Meth previously
stated that her department will
continue targeting high-risk
sectors, including e-hailing and
delivery services.
“High-impact and joint blitz
inspections are carried out at least
once each quarter and are based
on risk assessments,” Meth
explained. “The next set of
inspections will take place around
November or December, focusing
on sectors identified as high-risk.”
With a large number of foreign
nationals employed in the on-
demand delivery and fast food
sectors, these industries could soon
face increased scrutiny
In May 2024, Hein Jonker, founder
of the Motorcycle Safety Institute
of South Africa, raised concerns
a b o u t t h e e m p l o y m e n t
foreigners in the delivery rider
14
space. He noted that many of
these riders may not be qualified
to operate vehicles on South
African roads, as they may come
from countries where individuals
who hold a car license are legally
allowed to drive lower vehicle
classes, such as motorcycles and
scooters, without undergoing
proper motorcycle-specific
training.
While platforms like Uber Eats,
Checkers Sixty60, and Pick n Pay
ASAP have systems in place to
vet their contracted drivers, Home
A ff a i r s f a c e s s i g n i fi c a n t
challenges with fraudulent asylum
documents and work permits,
making it difficult to verify the
legitimacy of these credentials.
A Gauteng-based business owner
recently shared their experience
with raids conducted by Home
Affairs and the Department of
Labour. They found that several
staff members' documents were
not recorded in Home Affairs'
system, suggesting they could be
fraudulent. In response, the owner
began verifying documents
through the department's email
and SMS channels. However,
many of the documents were
untraceable, leading the owner to
assume they were fake and
terminate the employment of
those workers.
The business owner also
attempted to verify the legitimacy
of South African IDs by sending ID
numbers to Home Affairs' SMS
service. While most IDs were
confirmed as legitimate, one case
revealed that an ID number was
valid, but no additional information
could be found. This highlighted
ongoing issues with document
verification and the prevalence of
fraud in the system.
As the crackdown continues, the
impact of these inspections could
extend across multiple sectors,
especially those involving foreign
o f nationals in high-demand
industries like delivery services.
January 2025