DA Slams EFF’s Restaurant Inspections, Calls Them Out for Harassing People at Their Place of Work

• This morning the Economic Freedom Fighters, led by Julius Malema, visited several restaurants at the Mall of Africa to conduct inspections
• Some of the criteria the EFF focused on were working hours, remuneration and the ratio of south Africans to foreign workers
• Michael Cardo, the DA's employment and labour shadow minister, accused the EFF of expressing xenophobic view

JOHANNESBURG - This morning (19 January), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by Julius Malema, visited several restaurants at the Mall of Africa to inspect workplace policies and practices.

Some of the criteria the EFF focused on were working hours, remuneration and the ratio of south Africans to foreign workers. However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) did not support the EFF's actions.

“The idea that Julius Malema has the authority to impose himself on a private employer — armed, like an apartheid-era labour inspector with a clipboard and a kit to conduct a kind of pencil-test — is both laughable and dangerous,” the DA said.

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The DA's view on restaurant inspections

Michael Cardo, the DA's employment and labour shadow minister, accused the EFF of expressing xenophobic views by checking how many foreign nationals are employed at the restaurants they inspected, TimesLIVE reports.

Cardo added that the party are trying to show power in a staged event without tangibly helping anyone. The shadow minister said that the EFF could not act as a trade union, which it appears they are attempting to do.

The EFF justified the inspections by saying that in areas where most employed people are from neighbouring African countries, xenophobic attacks eventually take place. According to SABC News, they said that by ensuring more South Africans are employed than foreigners, xenophobia would decrease.

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Reactions to DA's view on EFF restaurant inspections

Mahlatsi Mojela said:

"I don’t understand how non-South African citizens must be employed when South Africans don’t have jobs themselves."

Super TV believes:

"More South Africans must be hired, we can’t have too many outsiders when our people are unemployed."

Nyiko Nkuna shared:

"We can debate the whole day but we need leaders like Malema. Go CIC."

Antonio Don remarked:

"So now they want to tell businesses how they operate."

Seth Forson said:

"Have never known Malema could manage issues like this. My heart goes for you, Julius. Tread cautiously and you will become a great African leader."

EFF raids restaurants to see how many foreigners are hired, SA not on board

In earlier news about this incident, Briefly News reported that the Economic Freedom Fighters had launched a campaign to check how many South Africans are employed at restaurants in South Africa in comparison to foreign nationals. The restaurant visits began on Wednesday, 19 January.

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The campaign is being led by EFF leader Julius Malema and supported by a few EFF supporters. Malema says he has nothing against foreign nationals working in South Africa but wants to challenge business owners to hire more citizens.

Malema added that he also trying to protect foreign nationals from being exploited by business owners.

Source: Briefly News