29/06/2026
29 June 2026
Press Alert: Employers taking advantage of xenophobia to illegally fire migrant workers - case studies
For comment, call Andile Nyembezi on 060 895 6944
The Simunye Workers Forum (SWF) has been documenting cases of unfair dismissals of migrant workers across Gauteng:
1. Harvest Fresh Farms
2. Sunshine Plastics
3. Fortune plastics factory
4. ZGG Farms
5. Guard Master/Wire Ventures
It has become clear to us over the past few weeks that the current xenophobic mobilisations are being seized upon by employers to carry out unfair dismissals and unlawful pseudo-retrenchments. The SWF opposes all forms of xenophobia. The SWF stands for the unity of migrant workers and South African workers.
Read below for details:
HARVEST FRESH
Harvest Fresh in Meyerton Farms, Gauteng has fired 90 migrant workers who are mostly from Malawi. On Thursday 18 June 2026 the workers were abruptly told by the boss who said a Home Affairs audit report had found that the workers were in the country illegally. These workers had worked for Harvest Fresh for 5 - 15 years.
The employer said he would pay each worker R3000 to leave. This R3000 includes their final pay and severance payment. The employer threatened to discipline workers if they refused.
The workers then asked for R20 000 each as final settlement considering the high cost of travel to Malawi. Most are here with their families, they’ve got luggage to pay for and other costs. But the boss refused, despite the workers' long service. He then made a final offer of R5000 each. Under duress, workers agreed and signed mutual separation agreement. One worker didn’t sign because he was on leave that day. When he returned, he refused to sign and was immediately charged with fraud and misrepresentation. He has a disciplinary hearing soon.
SUNSHINE PLASTICS
About 23 workers arrived at the CWAO office after going to work and being blocked from entering. CWAO immediately began investigating this an unfair dismissal.
We contacted the employer who denied dismissing them, saying he had stopped them from coming to work due to threats from March and March and Operation Dudula activity outside the premises.
CWAO told the employer that nevertheless, this was an unfair dismissal. The workers then told CWAO to negotiate an exit package. The employer then argued he was not willing to pay that much because he was formally dismissing the workers.
The employer said he would only pay a fortnight’s salary plus R3000 to workers with longer than four years’ service. Those employed for one to three months received R1000 each, while those with two to four years’ service received R2000 plus a fortnight’s pay.
FORTUNE PLASTICS
In Durban, 15 young Malawian workers were making plastic forks and spoons at Fortune. The company was then sold to a man from China.
Around this time, criminals attacked and stole the workers' documents. The owner then said the workers must move to Alrode, Gauteng because he was moving the factory. The workers said they wanted to renew their passports first but the boss said no.
Once they arrived in Alrode they had to live inside the factory with the owner. Then one day, he told them to leave without any pay, not even a cent. He claimed he was closing the factory and moving back to China.
When CWAO contacted him, he claimed to have already shut the company down and said he was at the airport waiting to go back to China.
The workers went to friends in an informal settlement in Thokoza but the landlord said they must leave after a few days. They spent a few days at a church and had to leave. They are now with other Malawians near the consulate. CWAO is searching for the owner and factory.
The only thing the workers want is money to go back to Malawi rather than dying here. They don't even want to be hidden. Most of these workers are young - in their early 20s. The amount of trauma they are under is huge.
ZGG FARMS
On 27 June 2026, ZGG Farms told 17 migrant workers not to come work from Monday until the March and March issue slows down. Out of 17 workers, 11 are from Malawi, 4 from Lesotho, 1 from Mozambique and 2 from Zimbabwe. The workers won’t get paid until they can return to work. These workers have already suffered a lot. SWF regularly reports on how these workers have had to make case after case because much of the time, they are not paid their salaries.
GUARD MASTER/WIRE VENTURES
Due to the xenophobic attacks by March and March, the boss retrenched 8 workers for working without permits. Yet the workers' have been working for the company without permits since 2019!
The retrenchment letter says only that the workers are being retrenched for operational requirements. The employer claims to have followed the correct legal process, and says the workers were given a chance to object - even though only migrant workers were targeted.
This case highlights the xenophobia on the part of bosses who willingly employ workers without papers for several years, only to raise the lack of documents as a reason to fire the workers later!
Workers at Wire Ventures/Guard Master protested in May because a manager randomly threatened to fire 3 workers every week. Another manager used to carry a gun on the factory floor but agreed to stop. SWF is also currently fighting for the correct Bargaining Council rates for the workers according to their job descriptions.
