Qing Xiu Clothing, a textile operation within the Newcastle Industrial Park in KwaZulu-Natal, has been shut down following a multi-departmental inspection that resulted in the arrest of two Chinese employers for alleged immigration law violations.
According to the Department of Employment and Labour, authorities discovered 34 undocumented foreign nationals working at the facility during a targeted inspection conducted on Friday, 6 February 2026.
The inspection formed part of an oversight programme led by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour, which this week has been conducting inspections across multiple sectors in the Amajuba District.
The joint operation included officials from the South African Police Service and the Department of Home Affairs, alongside the Department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services.
In a statement, the Department confirmed that the two employers were arrested for contravening immigration legislation by employing foreign nationals without valid documentation.
According to the Department, as part of the same inspection, Qing Xiu Clothing was issued with a prohibition notice preventing the factory from operating until serious safety and compliance breaches are remedied.
Inspectors cited multiple violations, including unsafe electrical installations, failure to produce a valid steam generator certificate, non-compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Act, and failure to comply with the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.
The Department further ordered that workers who had been housed on the factory premises vacate the site by Friday, 6 February, after inspectors deemed the accommodation unsafe due to unhygienic conditions and fire risk.
Furthermore, provincial Chief Inspector Mlungisi Zondi indicated that intensified inspections across the region will continue.
During Thursday’s inspection programme, six manufacturing operations were assessed. All six were non-compliant with UIF requirements. Only four complied with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Five were found to be non-compliant with Occupational Health and Safety regulations, and five failed to meet COIDA requirements.
The Department also reported that during Friday’s inspections, some factory owners locked themselves inside their premises while others left during the operation. Inspectors again discovered undocumented workers residing within factory buildings in the textile sector.
This past week’s enforcement action follows a pattern of similar inspections and findings documented in Newcastle’s textile industry over several years.
In October 2025, raids across Newcastle’s industrial areas led to multiple factory closures and the detention of hundreds of undocumented workers. Authorities at the time reported attempts to conceal workers and evade inspections.
The risks associated with these conditions were tragically highlighted in June 2023 when a fire at a textile factory on Gutenberg Street resulted in the deaths of three workers. Investigations raised serious questions about factory safety, overcrowding, and on-site accommodation practices.
In November 2022, multi-agency inspections led to the arrest of around 100 undocumented foreign nationals at various factories in Newcastle, with officials citing poor living conditions, excessive working hours, and repeated labour law breaches.
To read more about this, click here.
In light of the repeated findings, the Portfolio Committee has indicated it may summon major retail clothing chains to Parliament to account for supply chain relationships with factories found to be operating outside the law.
What the latest inspection has revealed is not an isolated incident, but a pattern of non-compliance that has persisted despite repeated enforcement actions over several years.
The challenge now facing regulators and lawmakers is whether this latest intervention will lead to sustained accountability across the sector, including the broader supply chains that benefit from these operations.
But, what are your thoughts on this? Let us know below.
Be sure to read more about this, Built for When Connectivity Can’t Fail: How Northern KZN Actually Stays Online, if you missed it.
FAQs:
Inspectors found serious labour, safety and immigration law violations, including 34 undocumented workers and unsafe on-site accommodation.
The Department of Employment and Labour, SAPS, Home Affairs and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour.
Unsafe electrical systems, lack of required certification, UIF and COID non-compliance, and immigration law breaches.
Yes. Authorities have indicated that intensified inspections across sectors in the region will continue.
