DURBAN - A collective effort made on Friday to enforce Covid-19 lock-down regulations has yielded positive results in the Isithebe Estate in Mandeni. After a tip-off was sent to COSATU leadership, a factory which has been illegally operating was shut down.
The operation was initiated by COSATU together with the Mandeni local municipality, the South African Police, the department of community safety and the office of the member of Provincial Legislature Honourable MPP Zungu.
The company in question (Tideway) was claiming to have been an essential service producing face masks. After further investigation, it was found that the permits the company possessed were fraudulent.
The business owner who was well aware of the regulations that are in place, then opted to source labour from neighbouring country, Lesotho. All of these employees had permits with different physical addresses on them. Furthermore, the masks the company was producing were not even in their scope of business.
The owner, a Chinese national together with a South African and 27 Lesotho citizens were all placed under arrest for defying the lockdown regulations.
Zungu applauded the swift action that the team has taken and hopes it will send a message to other companies in Isithebe who do not adhere to the lockdown regulations.
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