ANC united in denying claim of xenophobia
Party bigwigs come to defence of premier
“We are not xenophobic.” So claims the ANC in justifying comments made by Gauteng Premier David Makhura, blaming crime on foreigners.
Speaking at post-budget discussions last week, Makhura said: “In some specific crimes, specific nationalities are involved in some specific crimes (including) drugs, violent crimes, murders and cash-in-transit heists.”
Yesterday, in a manifesto briefing in the run-up to the general elections, the party’s head of the peace and stability committee, Tony Yengeni, said that the party was not xenophobic, but would also not tolerate illegal immigrants in the country.
Committee member Siyabonga Cwele said: “As the ANC government, we will deal with illegal and undocumented migrants in as far as it affects the security of the country.
“If you look at our manifesto, it says we will take tough measures against undocumented migrants involved in criminal activities here or cross-border… our commitment is there in protecting all the people living in South Africa against illegal activities.
“If you followed the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] during the January 8 [statement], he said we must engage our neighbours because they can assist us in dealing with this problem of illegal immigrants.”
Cwele said the government had demonstrated it was not xenophobic by offering Lesotho and Angolan nationals special permit programmes.
“The Lesotho special permit assisted us to deal with those Lesotho nationals who were illegal. Most of them were economic migrants.
“In all this we are trying to say that if you want to move to South Africa, do so legally. Foreign nationals are welcome to come to South Africa legally,” Cwele said.
He stressed that the party was not xenophobic.
“We’re not xenophobic. We welcome everyone to come through the front door, and exit using the door and not a window. That’s what we stand for, as ANC.”
Yengeni said the party also wanted to look into the status of foreign charismatic preachers, whose churches were mushrooming all over the country.
“It is a process that comrade [Bheki] Cele and his team are involved in so they can get to know who these people are and whether their activities are legal or not.
“That’s a matter that the Cabinet is pursuing because our people have responded negatively to what they are seeing; all sorts of abuses in these so-called churches.
“That matter is getting the attention of government.”