A group of protesters under the banner "Put Patroller First" demonstrate outside the Department of Home Affairs, highlighting the problem of illegal immigration and its impact on the locals.
Image: Picture: Oupa Mokoena/ Independent Newspapers
A group of protesters from Soweto, marching under the banner "Put Patroller First," gathered outside the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria on Monday to express their concerns about the employment of illegal immigrants in the security and trucking sector.
The protesters expressed worries that the hiring of undocumented foreign nationals may be taking away job opportunities from South African citizens.
They pointed fingers at certain Home Affairs officials, alleging that they were complicit in fraudulently providing documentation to foreign nationals.
The demonstrators urged the department to launch an investigation into their claims of corruption among some officials.
Their leader Cyril Madlala claimed that illegal immigrants pose a significant threat to national security.
“Despite previous engagements with the department and assurances of investigations there has been no tangible progress and the problem persists, worsening the country’s security and economic situation,” he said.
He made allegations of corruption within the department, specifically that some officials are accepting bribes in exchange for facilitating illegal documentation.
Madlala expressed concern about the large number of undocumented foreigners entering the security and trucking sectors, saying the influx is displacing locals and increasing the risk of crime.
According to him, the issue is further complicated by the lack of thorough vetting processes for foreign nationals working in both the security and trucking sectors.
Protesters demanded that the department conduct a thorough investigation into individuals who obtained South African documentation over the past decade, to ensure that all documentation was obtained legally and to identify any potential instances of corruption.
Madlala said: “We also want the department to implement stricter vetting procedures, deport illegal foreigners and crack down on corrupt department officials.”
He claimed the issue of illegal immigration was contributing to criminal activities, citing the recent killings of five patrollers in Soshanguve.
Simon Ratau, a senior official at the Department of Home Affairs, received the memorandum and said that it will be handed over to the Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, who is expected to respond to it within 14 days.
Protesters said if the department fails to respond they will escalate their protests and continue to vocalise their concerns about the issues affecting them.
One of them, Sabelo Zwane, said: “We have given them 14 days to respond to us and if they have not responded we will continue to make noise about our issues until they are heard.”
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
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