Twenty-five Basotho migrants have been arrested in South Africa after they were found working without the required legal documents at a suspicious garment factory in Hammarsdale, Durban.
Lerato Nkhetše of the Migrant Workers Association of Lesotho told Newsday on Monday that the suspected Chinese-owned factory appeared to have already been under close watch by KwaZulu-Natal authorities over alleged labour and other regulatory violations.
“It appears the firm was already suspected of employing undocumented foreigners and operating beyond legal working hours, among other tendencies. The firm itself was, therefore, a target for inspection by the police and relevant authorities in Durban,” Nkhetše said.
A police operation conducted on August 16 resulted in the arrest of the 25 undocumented Basotho allegedly employed at the factory.
Three other foreign nationals from Malawi and Eswatini were also arrested, while two Chinese managers were taken into custody, Nkhetše said.
Regarding the 25 Basotho, Nkhetše said the Lesotho government was expected to intervene through the Consulate General of Lesotho in Durban.
He blamed what he described as the “failing” passport-processing system of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police in Lesotho, saying delays in obtaining travel documents were leaving Basotho migrants vulnerable to losing employment in South Africa.
“Many Basotho employed in South Africa are losing their jobs because they are sabotaged by the Lesotho passport system. They are frustrated by delays and, sometimes, failed processes while applying for travel documents,” Nkhetše said.
He added: “Today, we still have some Basotho who applied for their passports in 2024 and early 2025, but are still waiting for them. This is despite the claims that have recently been made regarding improvements in the issuance of passports and national identity documents.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Police has, in recent years, faced criticism over persistent inefficiencies in the processing of passports and identity documents.
The newly appointed Minister of Home Affairs and Police, Voeswa Tsheka, has apologised to Basotho and other residents who have experienced delays, poor treatment and inconvenience, saying the ministry takes full responsibility.
The apology followed a damning report by the Ombudsman, Advocate Tlotliso Polaki, published in May, which exposed what it described as a pattern of maladministration, inadequate digital infrastructure and systemic failure to comply with the ministry’s Service Charter.
The report also flagged irregularities in the issuance of diplomatic passports, including the failure to enforce statutory surrender provisions.
Tsheka said police officers had been deployed to Home Affairs offices across the country as part of efforts to root out corruption.
“The Ministry condemns all acts of bribery and solicitation for payments to fast-track services,” Tsheka said.
In April, the ministry temporarily halted passport production “until further notice”, leaving more than 50,000 applicants frustrated. The disruption particularly affected Basotho working in South Africa who require passports to travel.
Tsheka said that when the crackdown began, the passport backlog stood at more than 61,000 applications but had since been reduced to about 38,000.
“In a day we print half of the new applications and process the other half,” she explained, adding that the usual daily output ranges from 1,200 to 1,600 passports, while in the worst case, about 900 are printed.
Contacted for comment on Tuesday, the ministry’s Public Relations Manager, ’Marelebohile Mothibeli, said many Basotho had applied for passports but had failed to collect them after they were finalised.
“There is a large number of Basotho who have applied for passports here. Most of their passports have been finalised, but they do not come and fetch them. We can only assist if you bring the list of their names, so we can check in the system how far their applications are, if they indeed applied. You may find that their passports have long been finalised but they don’t bother to check with us,” Mothibeli said.
Efforts to reach the Consulate General of Lesotho in Durban for comment were unsuccessful.
Summary
- He blamed what he described as the “failing” passport-processing system of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police in Lesotho, saying delays in obtaining travel documents were leaving Basotho migrants vulnerable to losing employment in South Africa.
- The apology followed a damning report by the Ombudsman, Advocate Tlotliso Polaki, published in May, which exposed what it described as a pattern of maladministration, inadequate digital infrastructure and systemic failure to comply with the ministry’s Service Charter.
- “In a day we print half of the new applications and process the other half,” she explained, adding that the usual daily output ranges from 1,200 to 1,600 passports, while in the worst case, about 900 are printed.
I am a journalist based in Maseru, Lesotho, renowned for investigative reporting. Over the years, my work has been published both locally and internationally, including in South Africa through the Amabhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Daily Maverick, among other publications.
In Lesotho, I have served as a senior reporter for several leading weekly newspapers, including the Lesotho Times, Public Eye, and Sunday Express. My reporting has focused on uncovering issues of public interest, promoting accountability, and giving voice to underreported stories.
In 2016, I co-founded the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism in Maseru, an initiative dedicated to strengthening investigative journalism and fostering a culture of transparency and public-interest reporting in Lesotho.
