Government officials hiring domestic workers in hot water
The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) says it will conduct inspections at the parliamentary villages in Acacia Park and Pelican Park to ensure that domestic workers there are registered and lawfully employed.
This stems from concerns raised during an oversight visit by the Portfolio Committee in March this year, where it was identified that many domestic workers were not looked after.
According to the ANC’s Joyce Basson, serious concerns were identified regarding the living and working conditions of several domestic workers.
The oversight visit identified failures in security, infrastructure maintenance, occupational health and safety, governance, and living conditions.
A key issue flagged centred on domestic worker quarters—particularly at Pelican Park—which suffered from severe neglect, inadequate infrastructure, and substandard living conditions.
The ACDP, which formed part of the visit, flagged asbestos-contaminated prefabricated housing, inadequate security, and recurring sewage failures.
In addition, there was a stark contrast between the maintenance and dignity afforded to the residences of Members of Parliament and the neglected quarters of the domestic workers who sustain those households.
“The unacceptable conditions endured by domestic workers are not minor administrative shortcomings…they represent failures of the state to protect people living and working on parliamentary premises,” the ACDP said.
Basson asked the DEL about the situation, which had been raised in March and April 2026, and for an update on the number of domestic workers, their registration status, and whether non-compliance had been addressed.
However, the DEL said there was no information on the total number of domestic workers employed in the parliamentary villages.
Nor was there any information on whether these workers are registered for UIF or legally employed.
DEL minister Nomakhosazana Meth said that the department had not followed up.
“There were no inspections conducted in Parliamentary Villages to determine the total number of domestic workers employed and their registration,” Meth said.
She added that no inspections had been conducted in 2025/26 either, and, as such, no case of non-compliance has been identified.
This means there is no record in the department of whether domestic workers employed in the parliamentary villages are registered, whether they’re employed lawfully, or whether they are working in unacceptable conditions.
The minister said that the department has developed a plan to conduct the inspections, which were scheduled for September.
Meth said that a “comprehensive inspection and compliance campaign in the Parliamentary Villages” would take place and that the report would be forwarded to the committee.
“The department continues to inspect the employers of domestic workers to determine compliance with employment laws, including identifying unregistered domestic workers and ensuring their registration,” she said.
She said that the department would also work to enhance the labour protections these domestic workers are entitled to and hold their non-compliant employers accountable.
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