Cape Town - The Department of Labour on Tuesday warned against con artists who were moving around the Free State province selling labour law posters.
The department said that the posters were being sold to farmers and, in some instances, the farmers were threatened and intimidated into buying the posters. The suspects apparently pretend to be labour inspectors.
The suspects are said to be travelling in a vehicle with Gauteng registration plates and according to the information received, have been reported to be in the Xhariep area, which includes the towns of Phillipolis, Edenburg, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, and Luckhoff. The suspects were also spotted in and around towns such as Vrede, Steynsrus, Odendaalsrus, and Edenburg.
“What makes matters worse is the fact that these individuals are masquerading as labour inspectors as they commit their deeds. We want to make it unequivocally clear that under no circumstances will the department of labour sell labour law posters to employers. In fact, any employer can download this information from the department of labour website free of charge,” said Nomfundo Douw-Jack, head of the department of labour in the Free State.
“We therefore want to call upon any employer who might come across these individuals to report them to law enforcement authorities immediately. The department of labour, together with the South African police service are working tirelessly to nail them,” she said.
The department added that Free State Agriculture, a farmers association, was also concerned about this unbecoming criminal act and pledged their support to put those involved behind bars.