WATCH: Undocumented Workers Jump Over Walls to Flee Joburg Mayor's Construction Site Blitz

• Joburg Mayor Dada Morero led a multidisciplinary blitz inspection at Century City Developers on 2 September 2026
• Hundreds of alleged undocumented workers fled the site, with some jumping over walls to evade law enforcement
• 32 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested during the operation, with the mayor urging companies to stop hiring undocumented workers

GAUTENG - Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero posted a video to his X account on 2 September 2026 showing the chaotic scenes that unfolded when law enforcement arrived at a construction site for a routine inspection.

The blitz targeted Century City Developers as part of a multidisciplinary operation. The moment officials set foot on the property, workers scattered in every direction. Some fled on foot while others scaled walls to avoid being stopped.

Workers flee as law enforcement arrives

According to Morero, the scale of the response from workers told its own story. In his post, he wrote that construction workers scattered in every direction and that some even jumped over walls to get away, adding that the reaction alone explained why such inspections were necessary.

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By the time the operation wrapped up, 32 undocumented foreign nationals had been arrested. The mayor noted the figure could have been significantly higher, as hundreds of workers had managed to flee the site before officers could reach them.

Mayor calls on companies to act

Morero used the inspection to send a direct message to businesses operating in the city. He urged companies to stop hiring undocumented foreign nationals and described the day's operation as evidence of the scale of the challenge authorities are dealing with.

The blitz formed part of the City of Johannesburg's broader effort to enforce compliance at construction sites and clamp down on the employment of workers who do not have valid documentation.

See videos here:

Mayor conducts inspection blitz in Marble Towers

In similar news, Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero led a by-law enforcement blitz at Marble Towers and found illegal structures still operating. This was in defiance of a High Court ruling, after the order directed that unlawful commercial structures inside the building be shut down, vacated and removed. City officials warned that continued non-compliance could result in the complete shutdown of Marble Towers, with a permanent JMPD presence under consideration.

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80 undocumented immigrants arrested during blitz

Previously, Briefly News reported that Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya and Joburg Mayor Dada Morero led a joint multidisciplinary blitz at a Sunninghill construction site on 28 August 2026. The operation flagged widespread non-compliance with labour laws, including the UIF Act, National Minimum Wage Act, COIDA and the OHS Act. At least 80 undocumented migrants and their employers were detained for breaching South Africa's Immigration Act.

Source: Briefly News