By Zinhle Bhuda
A group of former Afrit employees, supported by the Reyaga Community Project, marched to the Department of Employment and Labour on April 21, 2026, demanding a final resolution to a labour dispute that has remained unresolved since 2013.
For 13 years, about 500 former workers say they have been seeking accountability following what they describe as a mass dismissal at the Afrit facility. The protesters allege they were fired after requesting salary increases. They further claim the dismissals were used to conceal hazardous working conditions, including workplace injuries and deaths that they say were ignored by management at the time.The march aimed to confront the Department of Employment and Labour over what the group describes as a failure to provide adequate oversight.
Michael Mudau, president of the Reyaga Community Project, said the group has attempted to pursue all available official channels over the past decade, including the CCMA and relevant industry bodies, but without success. “We are here to ask the department whether they are here to support workers or companies that call themselves investors,” he said.
Former worker Michael Masilo said the long-running dispute has had a severe impact on his life. “We have been fighting for thirteen years,” he said. “I have been unemployed since I was fired from Afrit. My family is suffering, and every day is a struggle to survive.” Another former employee, Moses Maepa, who claims to still suffer from a workplace injury, described the lack of support he received.
“I was injured at work, but I was forced to keep working through the pain with no compensation and no medical help,” he said. Addressing the crowd, a spokesperson for the Department of Employment and Labour acknowledged the protesters and said the department would review the case.
The official also committed to arranging a meeting with the organisers within the next month to further discuss the matter.Afrit was contacted for comment on the allegations but had not responded by the time of publication. An update will be provided once a response is received.
For the protesters, the central question remains whether the government will act to protect workers or if their grievances will continue to go unresolved.
