Hon Lees, the minimum wage is not restrictive because it determines the barest minimum that should be paid to a worker in a particular sector. That is why employers - those who set up factories, and so on - are free to employ anybody at the barest minimum prescribed by law. The minimum wage has been introduced even for domestic servants. Therefore, in itself it's not a restriction.
If the employers want to use prison labour, that is now being outlawed in South Africa. In the past, there were opportunities for employers to employ prisoners. When one employed prisoners, she or he paid Correctional Services a certain fee. The prisoners worked and Correctional Services fed, housed and clothed them. That way, one almost got free labour.
However, in the labour market, a minimum wage has been set, and other employers pay far more than that. Therefore, if you employ people and you are happy with their work, they should also be happy about what they earn even if it is a minimum wage. There is no need for inspectors to impose any higher wages than what is prescribed as a minimum. The situation that you are referring to regarding the factories in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, involves employers who get workers into "sweatshops". In other words, the conditions in those factories are hazardous, and so on.
On that point, we recall cases where some of those employers locked up employees in the factories at night. And, as a result, some of them died. They did not even allow their employees to leave the factory. Now, those kinds of conditions are not allowed in terms of our labour laws.
The Ministry of Labour, therefore, sent the inspectors to check the situation in those factories. I don't think it was a minimum wage issue; it was more the overall working conditions that impelled the labour inspectors to close down those factories. Thank you.
Details regarding infrastructure investment in ensuring supply and preservation of clean water, water storage and distribution, and clearing out national water infrastructure backlog in Limpopo, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga
24. Ms N D Ntwanambi (ANC) asked the Deputy President:
Whether any part of the R300 billion the government has been spending annually on infrastructure investment includes investment in ensuring (a) the supply and preservation of clean water, (b) water storage and (c) distribution, especially in clearing out our national water infrastructure backlog in communities of the rural areas and townships of Limpopo, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga that have been battling with drought, inconsistent water supply, contaminated water and/or still use natural water streams and dams; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CO561E