Western Cape factory closed after nine workers test positive for COVID-19

The Rhodes Food Group’s factory in Tulbagh in the Western Cape is closed until further notice. That’s after nine workers tested positive for COVID-19. Tulbagh is in the Witzenberg municipality, home to the most coronavirus cases in the province, outside of the Cape Town metro. Rhodes factory workers have protested about their working conditions during the lockdown period. But the company says it’s doing all it can. Where we were unable to move people further than 1,5 meters we made sure people are wearing masks and it’s been a process making sure everyone is complying.

There have been times where it allowed people to stand closer than 1,5 meters but that’s been changed and the same with masks. Initially, we provided masks for transport but that’s now been implemented in the workplace as well,” said Rhodes Food Group CEO, Bruce Henderson. The Labour Department inspected the Tulbagh site last month and approved mitigation measures.

“It was our intention to continue on skeleton staff but the department of labour visited us as well and issued as with the instruction that we needed to clean with a third party again and on Friday following the labour department visit and on Saturday it was cleaned and we’re not sure about the way forward,” said Henderson. About 750 employees have been tested on-site and the premises were deep-cleaned after each COVID-19 case was identified.