Pretoria - Immigrants fleeing xenophobic violence in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are losing out on their salaries and severance packages, a union said on Thursday.
National coordinator of the Migrant Workers Association of South Africa (Mwasa), Butholezwe Nyathi said thousands of Africa immigrants were leaving the country in a hurry, without the chance to sort financial matters.
“We are currently assisting numerous migrant workers by negotiating with their employers. The problem is that we can only represent someone who has given us a written mandate, “ said Nyathi.
“The major problem is that most foreign nationals only approach us, to get representation, only when they are in problems. Calls have previously been made for all workers to ensure that they join a representative body.”
He said many of the migrant workers affected by the xenophobic attacks, which have left seven people dead, were breadwinners.
“We are now working under umbrella bodies like the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) to ensure that we redeem the fleeing workers’ money,” said Nyathi.
“We realised that people working as domestic workers and gardeners work under harsh conditions. Sometimes when there is a dispute with the employers, police are called in to arrest and deport the immigrants.” He said Mwasa represented more than 10,000 immigrant workers from African countries.
On Friday, President Jacob Zuma is scheduled to meet leaders of organisations representing immigrants from the African continent. Representatives of immigrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh are also scheduled to attend the summit in Pretoria.
However, Nyathi said his organisation would not be attending the summit to be held at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse.
Earlier this week, the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria had repatriated more than 400 of the country’s nationals who opted to return home because of the xenophobic attacks.
Nqabutho Mabhena of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa said since the 2008 xenophobic attacks, little had changed with regards to relations of some South African communities and immigrants.
“In 2008, we were at the forefront of coordinating assistance for displaced immigrants, which we did with the help of South African civic society. Currently, our efforts are aimed at assisting the affected Zimbabweans in places like Primrose in Gauteng,” said Mabhena.
He, however, said his organisation had not been invited for the “solution seeking” conference with Zuma.
“If President Zuma is meeting representatives of the affected communities, then we hoped to make our contribution. As it stands, we will continue working on the ground to assist the displaced people, “ said Mabhena.
“Certainly, we cannot attend an event where we are not invited.” Mabhena said his organisation represented 8,000 Zimbabwean immigrants working across South Africa.
Cosatu spokesman, Norman Mampane said South African citizens, government and civil society had united in condemning the xenophobic attacks.
“The use of vulnerable immigrants as cheap labour in domestic work and on farms, where they get paid much less, must come to an end. We know how the migrant workers are exploited and are subjected to unfair labour practices,” said Mampane.
“We urge every worker, including informal traders and hawkers to join organised labour. The protection of migrant workers in this country must be secured.”
On Saturday, Mozambican national Emmanuel Sithole was stabbed to death in Alexandra, North of Johannesburg. Four men appeared in a Johannesburg court in connection with his murder on Tuesday morning, while ANC supporters protested outside the building demanding that the suspects be denied bail.
They will appear in court again on May 4 and were remanded.
ANA