Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba says some South Africans are contributing to illegal immigration in the province by accommodating undocumented immigrants.
Ramathuba was speaking during the police operation aimed at curbing illegal immigration at Greenside in Seshego, in Polokwane.
Over 330 undocumented immigrants were arrested in Capricorn District.
Officials from the police as well as Departments of Home Affairs and Health conducted an operation aimed at dealing with undocumented migrants in different areas of the province.
Ramathuba has urged residents to stop accommodating undocumented immigrants in their properties.
“The people who are the enablers of criminality harbouring criminals in their backroom are our fellow South Africans citizens. They are the ones who we hand over to you; we build a beautiful RDP house for you here in Greenside, we allocate you so that you can have a better life for your children, instead you build the back rooms. You then connect electricity illegally, connect water illegally and accommodate the undocumented immigrants.”
Meanwhile, acting Provincial Police Commissioner Jan Scheepers said the operation will expand to more districts.
“I am happy with what we have achieved here today but I think this is only the start. Like the Premier said, we are having all the other departments from government under the leadership of the Premier to work with us. And we are not going to clean only here. I am happy with what we have done, but we will expand this operation to all the other districts. As we are speaking, all the other district maybe not in the same level but are also having operations and like the Premier said we will listen to our people. They have the right to protest, it’s by law, it’s their constitutional right to protest, but if we can protest lawful within the confinement of the law, we will support them.”
-Report by Avhapfani Munyai
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