Africa-Press – South-Africa. South Africa’s porous borders are to blame for the rising tide of xenophobia in the country, Deputy President David Mabuza said.
Mabuza answered questions in the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday, where he avoided calling the growing sentiment against foreign nationals xenophobia.
He was also ambivalent about foreign nationals and crime.
“Of course, we are concerned about the recent increase in criminal activities involving foreign nationals,” he said, adding that this was especially in Gauteng and included cash-in-transit heists.
He also said if Police Minister Bheki Cele said that illegal foreigners were heading crime syndicates, it must be so.
However, he more than once said the following:
Mabuza said South Africa’s immigration system was grappling with “the influx of undocumented immigrants [who] ultimately compete with our citizens for the limited resources in order to survive”.
“This competition, honourable deputy chair, often leads to tensions, which we see in most and some of the communities, which then manifest in different forms of campaigns and actions that in the main have negative undertones,” he said.
“Rest assured, honourable deputy chair, we are mindful of the legitimate concerns of our citizens where they feel there is not sufficient action by our law enforcement agencies to deal with the issues of undocumented foreign nationals.
“This is why we have now established a border management agency to attend to the existing porous borders and ensure that we improve that situation.”
This is worse than the 2008 attacks – Poverty, govt failure push foreigners, locals to the brink in Alexandra
He said the Department of Home Affairs had a legal mandate to deal with undocumented foreign nationals. That is why the government discouraged any anti-foreigner sentiment and the destruction of property associated with these protests and related activities.
“While the concerns that are raised may be legitimate, they must be raised and attended to within the scope of the law. We call for calm, restraint and adherence to lawful means from all parties who are involved in the ongoing confrontation,” Mabuza said.
In response to a follow-up question, Mabuza said:
Mabuza said Cele advised him that the Public Order Policing unit members were currently deployed in Alexandra, Gauteng.
Shortly after Mabuza finished the question session, reports emerged from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, of an alleged xenophobic attack, the Witness reported.
As is often the case, corruption cropped up in the question session. EFF MP Mmabatho Mokause was kicked out of the virtual sitting after she refused to withdraw her statement that the ANC leadership was corrupt.
Responding to a question of one of Mokause’s colleagues, Mabuza sang from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s hymn sheet.
“The ANC is not corrupt. It is individual leaders who are found to be in conflict with the law,” Mabuza said.
He said as an organisation, the ANC took the “very noble stance” not to protect its members who did wrong.
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