The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has ruled that the searching of black and foreign staff exiting a plush Gauteng golf estate, is unconstitutional.
The ruling follows a complaint lodged by a homeowner at the Eagle Canyon Golf Estate in Honeydew to the commission regarding the treatment of primarily black and foreign domestic workers and garden staff.
Lodged with the SAHRC last year, the homeowner said security would check the parcels of black and foreign staff when they would leave the estate.
According to SAHRC provincial manager, Zamantungwa Mbeki, the complainant alleged that if a worker left with items in their bags, security would call that person's employer at the estate and inquire whether they had indeed permitted the worker to leave with those items.
The complainant alleged that the treatment of domestic and garden staff at the estate, in which homes carry an upwards of R2million price tag, was racist and xenophobic.
Speaking to eNCA, Mbeki said their probe was lengthy and included affidavits from other domestic workers and homeowners who confirmed what the complainant said.
She said during the investigation, management claimed that their only concern was the safety of homeowners however, it was noted that only black staff were searched when exiting the property. Mbeki said white people leaving the estate were not searched as frequently.
During the investigation, there was a change of management and according to Mbeki, the new management has stopped the practice.
Mbeki told eNCA that the new management at the estate agreed that the searches cannot be only for a particular group.
Eagle Canyon Golf Estate’s head of communication and marketing, Kim Bell, said; “The ruling is under consideration by our current board and homeowners’ association management and will be replied to within the required 60-day time period.”
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