“This is a personal witch hunt to tarnish Tang’s award-winning image,” Tang CEO and founder Nicky van der Walt said in a statement in the aftermath of a crackdown on undocumented foreigners this week that saw four workers from the Sandton eatery and several others around Gauteng taken into police custody for alleged non-compliance with the South African labour laws.
The statement comes days after reports that the Department of Home Affairs have arrested five Tang workers, including an HR manager as part of a crackdown on businesses for employing illegal workers, an allegation Tang has vehemently denied. “It is important to note that our HR Manager was never arrested nor charged with any malpractice; she was interviewed in relation to employee record verification,” Van der Walt said, adding: “Regarding the alleged undocumented individuals, we wish to clarify that four workers were recently taken into police custody following a raid at our Sandton location. One has since presented his legal work permit, while the other three were in the process of renewing their expired permits, which were valid during their hiring.”
The restaurant management, he added, will continue to cooperate fully with government agencies and “uphold our commitment to compliance with South African labour laws”, he said.
An award-winning world-class operation, Tang is a fully compliant member of the Bargaining Council Agreement for the Restaurant, Catering and Allied Trades Johannesburg area per Government Gazette.
The establishment has over 300 employees in Johannesburg and Cape Town, with its waiters counted among highest paid in the industry. An average waitron earns an average just over R21, of recent (per August 2024 records), with some individuals averaging up to R60,000 per month in commission and tips.
Fully compliant with South Africa’s labour laws since opening in 2021, the Sandton restaurant operates under a commission structure approved by the Bargaining Council, it further said in a statement.
The South African born F&B brand, which describes itself as a “luxurious take on the Japanese izakaya style of dining”, was in December 2023 named one of the Top 100 Restaurants of The World.
Three years after opening two thriving establishments in South Africa, Tang is now preparing to open its third restaurant in Dubai later this year.
Widespread police raids
On Monday, three undocumented foreigners were arrested at Babel in Menlyn, Pretoria, for lacking proper documentation. The restaurant is accused of mistreating employees and failing to provide basic salaries as required by the National Minimum Wage Act.
The arrests came after one of Babel former employees posted a viral TikTok video earlier in the week detailing how the restaurant was forcing staff to buy their own uniforms, bottle openers and other equipment, pay breakage fees, and work excessively long hours.
In another incident, an undocumented foreign national working for Mr Delivery collecting a meal a Pretoria was allegedly arrested. One waiter was also arrested at another restaurant in Sandton, Second Story, for having invalid documentation, this as Home Affairs continues with the investigation.
