Man held for child labour
2013-02-15 15:18
Johannesburg - A man has been arrested in Zastron in the
Free State for alleged child labour, the labour department said on Friday.
The man had allegedly employed a 14-year-old boy as his
domestic worker, department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said in a statement.
He was arrested on Thursday.
The department opened a case after the boy's mother
reported the matter.
She claimed her son had been working for the man since
last Friday and worked five days a week from 09:00 to 16:00 for R30 a day.
Labour inspectors visited the man and found the boy
cutting trees.
Mavasa said the boy was a Grade 6 pupil at a local school
and had been absent from class since he started working.
The man would appear in court on Monday.
The department warned employers to not hire children for
cheap labour.
"In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act
it is a criminal offence to employ any child under-15 years of age, who is
under the minimum school leaving age in terms of the law, or any child to do
work that is inappropriate for their age that may place them at risk,"
Mavasa said.
If convicted, the employer could be sentenced to a fine
or imprisonment of three years.
- SAPA
