Latest news with #ThamsanqaNtuli
Eyewitness News
5 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
20 undocumented foreign nationals nabbed at Durban truck depot
DURBAN - Twenty foreign nationals have been arrested during a law enforcement raid at a truck depot in Durban. They're alleged to be undocumented. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli made an unannounced visit to the area following complaints from South African drivers. They raised concerns about their working conditions. Ntuli said some of the suspects arrested on Friday face other criminal charges. ALSO READ: Foreign nationals at Bellville, Wingfield tent sites have refused all offers of help - Hill-Lewis "Some of them you'll find that they have criminal cases apart from going through the processes of deportation, they will have to face those charges first." He said two of those arrested are managers at the depot. "The owners were arrested immediately when we discovered that they have employed undocumented foreign nationals. The next is for yourself as the owner who has also employed them, to be also taken by the police to answer." The arrests come after 135 undocumented migrants were arrested last week in Hammarsdale and Chatsworth.
News24
10 hours ago
- Business
- News24
Durban company owner arrested along with allegedly undocumented foreign truck driver staff
About 20 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested at a KwaZulu-Natal mining and logistics company after a surprise raid led by Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli. The operation was sparked by a tip-off that more than 80 undocumented truck drivers were employed there, undercutting local workers. Ntuli warned that employers hiring undocumented workers would be arrested as raids continue. At least 20 undocumented foreign nationals, believed to be truck drivers, were taken into custody on Friday morning as part of an unannounced operation at a Durban mining and logistics company. The company's owner has also been arrested, according to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, but he has not appeared in court yet and therefore cannot be identified. The premier led the operation, which took place after an anonymous tip-off that the company was employing more than 80 undocumented foreign nationals as truck drivers. 'We are here because there has been a cry from the local truck drivers that their opportunities are given to undocumented foreign nationals because they accept low salaries. Our informers told us that there are almost 85 undocumented foreign nationals who are driving trucks for this company alone. We were able to find some of them this morning,' Ntuli said. READ | Two more arrested as Hawks crack down on KZN passport syndicate He added that employers who hire undocumented foreigners must be held liable and face criminal charges because they know the law and should not employ people who do not have proper papers. 'They must be legal and within a certain category (scarce skills) before employment. No South African can go to another country without papers and be employed there. Unfortunately, our business leaders in the province employ these people. This seriously affects our economy and unemployment rate,' Ntuli said. On Thursday, Ntuli unveiled the Sibaya Coastal Precinct in Durban, a R6 billion investment that he says will create more than 70 000 jobs in five years. Ntuli assured investors they would ensure the fight against crime was heightened to attract more investors to the province. During the operation on Friday, Ntuli said: 'We need to protect our economy, and we need to protect our people. With this, we are sending a strong message to companies that are still not abiding by the law. I just decided to meet with factory owners and other businesses in the province to communicate a strong message. They must know that they will be arrested when they continue with this.' Ntuli said the operation was ongoing and that more unannounced visits could be expected to factories and companies around the province. On Wednesday, he said, the police had an operation in Hammarsdale, where more than 100 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested. On Thursday, during an operation in Chatsworth, more than 20 undocumented foreign nationals were also arrested, according to the premier. 'Those are huge numbers in the space of two days. You will find that some of them have criminal cases. Apart from going through the deportation process, they will have to face those criminal charges first,' he said. Ntuli added that the South African Bargaining Council would check whether locals working in the companies were being paid the minimum wage. In May, police raided a factory in KwaDukuza, just outside Durban, after a tip-off that a company was employing more than 300 undocumented foreign nationals as factory workers. The raid, which Ntuli also led, was also joined by provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and officials from the Departments of Labour and Home Affairs. During that raid, 179 foreign nationals were arrested, and 158 of them were found to be undocumented. Ntuli said officials were working with the Department of Home Affairs and the police to speed up the deportation process.
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
KZN govt concerned about number of bus crashes in province after latest incident near Vryheid
DURBAN - The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government said it was concerned about the number of road accidents involving buses in the province. Ten Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters were killed and 38 left injured on Tuesday morning when the bus they were travelling in collided with a truck in Vryheid, in northern KZN. The group were travelling from Umlazi, south of Durban, where the party held its Youth Day rally. The province has recorded a number of bus crashes since the start of the year. KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli: "It's unfortunate that in KwaZulu-Natal these kind of accidents seems to be common. Each and every month, you hear news of a bus crash resulting in the loss of many lives." Ntuli also conveyed his condolences to the affected families. "We are sending our condolences to both the families that lost their ones and even to the EFF, as I've been informed they were members of the EFF."
News24
3 days ago
- Climate
- News24
Spirit of ubuntu shines through after rural KZN community was left reeling by storm
Sakhiseni Nxumalo/News24 Over 100 homes were destroyed in Impendle, KwaZulu-Natal, as severe storms battered the region, leaving families without food, clothing, shelter or electricity. Many residents live in poverty and in mud-brick houses, which collapsed under the harsh weather conditions. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli and minister Velenkosini Hlabisa visited the affected areas, launching emergency relief efforts while local disaster teams assist with temporary shelter, food parcels and clean water. Ubuntu was on full display in the rural community of Impendle, KwaZulu-Natal, as neighbours stepped in to shelter and feed each other after more than 140 homes were destroyed by a severe storm. Mud homes collapsed, roofs were blown off, and families were left without shelter, water or electricity in the aftermath of the disaster – and it was the spirit of human solidarity that became the first line of response. Last week, the extreme weather conditions in KwaZulu-Natal caused damage to 138 schools in 12 districts. This prompted some schools to halt exams as teachers waited for the provincial education department to assess the damage. According to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, more than 400 homes have been affected by the recent inclement weather conditions which hit parts of the province for two days this past week. Ntuli said no lives were lost. In Impendle, which is 48km west of Pietermaritzburg and 37km north-east of Bulwer, more than 140 houses were affected, with over 58 completely collapsed. However, stricken residents, many already living in poverty, found comfort in one another's support while waiting for formal relief efforts to reach them. 'This thing (storm) took us by surprise. We thought it was a normal wind because almost every year around this time we experienced heavy wind. To our surprise, the wind was way too strong, and it was only after it had passed that we realised it had damaged so many houses,' said Vusumuzi Nyembe, a resident in the area. Nyembe told News24 that many families were left homeless and had their food, clothes and other vital items blown away. Sakhiseni Nxumalo/News24 Sakhiseni Nxumalo/News24 He said residents had been able to find shelter through unaffected neighbours who welcomed them into their houses. 'There is one family where there are two children around 20 and 16, but they don't have parents, and they stay alone. Their house was the only thing that they had left, and now they have nothing,' said Nyembe. Many of the homes are mud brick houses. The bricks are made by mixing sand and water. This is out of necessity due to widespread unemployment and extreme poverty in the community. 'We've been unemployed for years,' said Nyembe. 'There are no jobs here. We had no choice but to use mud to build because we couldn't afford cement. These structures are not safe, yes, but what can you do? You can't stay outside,' he said. READ | Disaster teams 'working round the clock' after strong winds and snow hit parts of KZN Isabel Mazibuko recounted how the wind blew part of the roof off before shaking the walls of her home until the entire structure collapsed last Tuesday. She said when the walls started shaking, she took one of the children who is disabled to a neighbour's house. 'It all happened so fast. The house had five rooms, and it accommodated all of us. We are just glad that we have another room available to house some of us (family of 12). Others sleep at the neighbour's house and come back in the morning,' said Mazibuko. Sakhiseni Nxumalo/News24 Sakhiseni Nxumalo/News24 The lack of stable employment and economic opportunities in Impendle has left most residents unable to rebuild their homes straight away. 'At first, we thought it was just passing like it always does, so we didn't panic. But within minutes, the roof was gone, and it landed in our neighbour's yard,' said Bizelweni Ndlovu. Ndlovu, 47, said the walls of her home then collapsed, and there was nothing they could do but watch. Her voice shook as she pointed to the ruins. 'As you can see, the roof was still new and had been renovated just two months ago, and this happened. It's sad because I don't have a place I can call home. I'm hoping that the government will assist us,' said Ndlovu. On Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Velenkosini Hlabisa visited the area. According to Hlabisa, their aim was to assess the scale of the damage and lead emergency relief efforts. Local disaster teams have been activated to assist displaced residents with temporary shelter, food parcels and access to clean water. Many, however, remain without electricity or basic sanitation. Hlabisa said: We are grateful to God that in this area, even though they experienced severe damage, no life was lost. It's sad, yes; lives are important and cannot be replaced. We are also very much appreciative to community members who came together, housed those who were affected and provided food. Hlabisa said he had engaged Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane, her provincial office and other government departments. He said they would compile a report after assessing the extent of the damage, after which it would be sent to the national Cogta department for the affected areas to be declared disaster areas. 'The Department of Human Settlement will quickly move in to assist by providing temporary housing for the affected families. There have been over 100 food vouchers and food parcels that will be distributed to the victims,' he said.
Eyewitness News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
KZN Premier says he had no clue schools were having financial difficulties
DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli says he had no clue that schools in the province were unable to operate daily due to financial difficulties, and he has committed to turning the situation around. Several schools in KZN have revealed that they can't function due to a lack of money. Teacher unions NATU (National Teachers' Union) and SADTU (South African Democratic Teachers Union) have approached Ntuli's office about the issue. They say the allocations are not meeting the norms and standards for school funding. Ntuli says this will be resolved over the next few days. The norms and standards for school funding provide a framework for how government funds should be allocated to public schools. But with schools across the province pointing out they have not received what is due to them, teaching and learning have been disrupted. Teacher unions and pupils at some schools have resorted to pickets. But after meeting the union, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli admitted this was news to him. 'I wasn't aware of the situation, that it was such bad.' The premier says he will address the situation. 'As from next week we will be beginning to pay schools, in two weeks' time no school must be owed and going forward, I said for the norms and standards, the government must not owe schools.' Ntuli has committed R900 million to be allocated to schools across KZN. He says the money will be sourced from all other departments in the province.
