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Pinky Mashiane

Defending domestic worker's rights

Pinky Mashiane at home © Thom Pierce 2023

Whilst walking through a wealthy suburb of Pretoria, Pinky saw a gardener being shouted at and threatened by his employer. Without thinking twice she marched through the gate, announced that she was from the Department of Labour, and declared that she would have to report the employer for what she had just witnessed. 


She didn’t work for the Department of Labour, and she had no means to report the man for his abusive behaviour but he believed her story, and tried to bribe her to not report him. Pinky refused the money and insisted that he give it to the gardener, along with an apology. She took both their numbers so that she could check that the mistreatment never happened again. 


It was at this point that she realised that she had the power to change people’s lives for the better. 


Pinky Mashiane now works tirelessly for the rights of domestic workers around South Africa. On a regular workday, her phone will not stop ringing with requests for help from people who don’t know where else to turn. 


She started her professional life as a domestic worker but soon realised that she could not tolerate the conditions and treatment that were considered normal. She became one of the most vocal voices for the rights of domestic workers around the country.


One of Pinky’s greatest achievements has been to get domestic workers included in COIDA (the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act). This came about through her work on the landmark case of Maria Mahlangu, a domestic worker who fell into a swimming pool and drowned. 


Pinky helps domestic workers and gardeners with a range of issues, including but not limited to;


Inhumane Treatment - physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual harassment.


Exploitation - underpaying, overworking, and enforcing the minimum wage.


Accidental Harm - dog attacks, injuries at work.


Wrongful Termination - dismissal due to HIV status, wrongful accusations of theft, etc.


Unfair Deductions - withholding money for breakages, accommodation, etc.


All of this she does for almost no money, fiercely motivated by the fact that as long as her phone rings, there are people that need her. And it isn’t going to go quiet anytime soon.



CREATED FOR positive activism © 2025

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