Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has intensified the province’s campaign against undocumented immigration, warning that South Africans who provide accommodation to undocumented foreign nationals will also face the consequences of the law.
Speaking during a multi-agency law enforcement operation in Greenside, Seshego, near Polokwane recently, Ramathuba said local residents were contributing to the problem by renting out backyard rooms and other accommodation to people who do not have legal documentation. The operation, conducted jointly by the South African Police Service, the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Health, resulted in the arrest of more than 330 undocumented migrants.
Ramathuba said undocumented immigration had placed enormous pressure on public services and had also created opportunities for criminals to hide within communities.
“The people who are enabling criminality are our own South African citizens. Government provides RDP houses to improve people’s lives, but some owners build backyard rooms, illegally connect electricity and water, and rent them to undocumented immigrants,” she said.
The Premier further warned that residents who knowingly harbour undocumented foreign nationals could be held accountable under the law, adding that some of those being sheltered were wanted for serious crimes.
She also urged employers to stop hiring undocumented foreign nationals without valid permits, saying businesses found breaking immigration laws could face legal action.
Ramathuba said law enforcement operations would now be expanded across Limpopo’s districts, including rural villages, where government intends to work with traditional leaders to identify undocumented residents and ensure immigration laws are enforced.
However, the Premier cautioned communities against taking the law into their own hands or targeting people based on their skin colour, nationality or language. She stressed that immigration laws must be enforced legally and without discrimination.
“What we cannot allow is profiling people because of how they look or the language they speak. We must work with law enforcement agencies and allow the law to take its course,” Ramathuba said.
The crackdown forms part of the provincial government’s broader effort to combat crime, illegal immigration and illicit economic activities, with authorities indicating that similar operations will continue throughout Limpopo.
