Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana advised the Department of Employment and Labour to begin the process of hiring ten thousand labour inspectors even before the start of the new fiscal year when funds will be allocated.
Speaking to the media during a closed briefing before the presentation of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement for 2026 (MTBPS), Godongwana noted that these inspectors are part of a broader immigration system.
He stated that the staff would be recruited within the framework of medium-term expenditure. Previously, in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the police, the Department of the Interior, and labour inspectors would work together to ensure compliance with immigration, labour laws, and related regulations.
Godongwana emphasized that employers hiring foreigners without the necessary permits or visas would face full enforcement of the law. He added: 'To strengthen control, we will hire an additional 10,000 labour inspectors this year. In implementing these measures, we insist that the laws of our country must be observed by everyone.'
However, the Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Mthethwa, reported that recruitment had not taken place at the moment due to the lack of allocated funds, despite the promise made by Ramaphosa in his State Address.
In a recent response to parliamentary questions, Mthethwa clarified that the department had submitted a funding application to the National Treasury and was awaiting a response.
Mthethwa also stated that the department had been unable to secure the budget to implement and deploy additional labour inspectors. On Tuesday, October 21, 2026, Godongwana was asked about the funding request submitted by the Department of Employment and Labour for the hiring of labour inspectors.
Godongwana countered that he had not seen Mthethwa approach the National Treasury. He commented: 'I do not know when she says she is knocking on our door.' He reminded that the last discussion with the Minister of Employment and Labour was that it would be better to announce the vacancies now so that the labour inspectors could start working by April.
Godongwana stressed that the employment of inspectors would take place over the next three years. He explained that the failure to keep Ramaphosa's promise regarding funding occurred because the announcement was made before the completion of the 2026 budget. 'We had to account for the SONA commitments for the next financial year. We did this regarding labour inspectors. We advised the minister to start the announcement so they could start working by April,' Godongwana added.
These statements were made despite him indicating in his MTBPS that 'in addition to the allocations to the Border Control Agency this year, we are also increasing the number of labour inspectors.' Director-General Duncan Pieterson reported that they had allocated funds for a gradual increase in appointments. Pieterson noted: 'We will see how it goes over the next few years, and see how they can integrate them into the system according to the available funding.'