Zakumi © Gallo Images

'FIRM TOLD TO SUSPEND ZAKUMI PRODUCTION'

A Chinese company that was contracted to make figurines of the football World Cup mascot Zakumi has been forced to suspend production following reports that the company was running a sweat shop, a South African newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Singapore-based Global Brands Group, the company licensed by World Cup organising body Fifa, to produce merchandising, told The Times it had suspended the approval it granted Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products and Gifts to produce plastic miniatures of the spotty leopard.

Global Brands carried out an an inspection and audit of the factory following media reports in January, which claimed workers were being paid €2 a day and forced to work 13-hour shifts.

The reports caused outrage in South Africa, with the Congress of South African Trade Unions questioning why the mascot was not being made locally.

Shanghai Fashion was subcontracted to make 2.3 million Zakumi miniatures by companies in Europe, North America and South Africa, including a company that belongs to a member of South Africa's ruling African National Congress, The Times reported.

Global Brands also approved the company as a subcontractor.

Global Brands Group spokesman, Paul Zacks, told The Times an audit identified a number of areas of non-compliance with Global Brands' policy.

"A corrective action plan has been put together with the manufacturer to close the gaps and make necessary improvements," he said.

"In the interim, approval for this factory to manufacture these figurines has been temporarily suspended, affording them the opportunity to put in place corrective actions and measures to ensure the factory remedies its non-compliance," he said.