Illegals issue in spotlight

‘IMMIGRATION LAWS VIOLATION AN AFFRONT TO RULE OF LAW’ Gigaba put on the spot by challenge from Tshwane mayor.

Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga, of the Democratic Alliance, has written to Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba asking him to “address” the “challenge” of undocumented migrants.

The letter was copied to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of International Relations Lindiwe Sisulu and Gauteng premier David Makhura.

It avoids xenophobic language. Msimanga and Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba have been accused of xenophobia in the past.

Msimanga was accused of it when he said in May last year: “In all the raids we have done, Nigerians topped the list of the people involved in drugs.”

Mashaba was accused of the same after saying in 2016 undocumented migrants were the masterminds behind inner-city crime.

However, the message of this letter was clear: the department of home affairs must “deal” with undocumented foreign nationals.

Msimanga said his concern stemmed from the recent fires in an informal settlement in Pretoria that destroyed 50 shacks. “The recent fires that engulfed parts of Plastic View informal settlement have once again brought to the fore the unresolved issues of illegal immigration and national government’s inaction in this regard,” he wrote.

“What is clear from this tragic incident is that the department of home affairs is failing dismally to address this long-standing challenge that has seen xenophobic attacks, loss of life, exploitation and fighting for limited resources.

“The Immigration Act states that the department of home affairs has a responsibility to issue permanent and temporary residence to those entitled to it and to detect and deal lawfully with undocumented foreign nationals.

“The continued violation of immigration laws is an affront to the rule of law, a precedent the department is allowing to perpetuate.”

The mayor said the “majority of Plastic View residents are undocumented immigrants, thus their status falls outside the prescripts of the housing code”.

This, he added, “has serious knock-on implications for Tshwane and Gauteng’s programme to provide housing to our people.” –

Nigerians topped list of people involved in drugs.