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Civil society organisations campaigning against illegal immigration in Mthatha say they have secured a commitment from the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality and key government departments to establish a dedicated task team to tackle undocumented migration — but insist the responsibility cannot rest with the government alone.
The groups, which organised recent anti-illegal immigration marches in the city, say the proposed task team would co-ordinate efforts between the municipality, government departments and civil society to address undocumented migration, labour law enforcement and municipal bylaw compliance.
Among those leading the campaign are the Phakama Eastern Cape Movement, Isanco, March and March, the Mthatha Crime Busters and the OR Tambo Liquor Traders’ Association.
Phakama Eastern Cape Movement provincial organiser Phikolomzi Adonisi said on Wednesday that months of petitions and marches had culminated in a meeting convened by the municipality on June 29.
“We have secured a commitment for a dedicated task team to address the issue,” Adonisi said.
He said the campaign began on May 11 when organisations marched to the departments of home affairs, employment and labour, justice and the KSD municipality to hand over separate petitions.
“Each department received a petition dealing with matters that fall under its mandate. We verbally gave them 14 days to respond, but none of them did.”
The organisations then embarked on another round of marches beginning on June 22 to demand responses.
“We started with the municipality, then home affairs, labour and finally the SAPS,” Adonisi said.
Those engagements resulted in the June 29 meeting, where representatives of the municipality, national departments and civil society discussed the demands.
“The outcome was agreement to form a task team with a narrow focus,” Adonisi said.
“We agreed that within a week there must be a task team dealing specifically with illegal immigration.
“It must be led by the mayor or his representative.”
The organisations have given the municipality seven days to establish the task team and outline its terms of reference.
“We are going back on Monday to follow up because the task team must now develop a clear plan of action,” he said.
According to Adonisi, the committee should include all stakeholders who attended the June 29 meeting, including civic organisations.
“We will be part of that task team to make sure government is doing its job in dealing with illegal immigrants.”
He said residents, employers and traditional leaders also had responsibilities.
“It is a crime to employ an illegal foreigner or to provide accommodation for an illegal foreigner,” Adonisi said.
He urged traditional leaders not to allocate land to undocumented foreign nationals and called on businesses to comply with labour laws.
“We are calling for unity to deal with illegal immigration, unemployment and crime.”
Adonisi rejected suggestions that undocumented migrants were filling jobs South Africans were unwilling to do.
“To be a security guard, petrol attendant or driver is not a scarce skill,” he said.
The campaign forms part of growing public pressure over illegal immigration, with similar demonstrations taking place across the country.
Though organisers insist they oppose violence, Adonisi said communities expected the government to enforce immigration laws.
“The issue of illegal foreigners was not a one-day event but a process,” he said.
KSD municipal spokesperson Onele Mabovula confirmed the June 29 engagement but said no formal decision had yet been taken.
“At this stage, the recommendations are still undergoing the appropriate internal executive processes,” Mabovula said.
“No formal decision has yet been taken regarding the establishment of a task team, its composition, terms of reference or leadership.”
She said the municipality would communicate any approved decisions once the executive processes had been concluded.
“We therefore cannot speculate on matters that have not yet been formally determined.”
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said the June 30 protests were largely peaceful despite heightened tensions across the province.
She said police arrested 229 people during operations linked to the demonstrations, including 208 undocumented foreign nationals and 21 people arrested for offences committed during the protests.
Among those arrested were 76 undocumented foreign nationals detained in Humewood, Gqeberha, for fraudulent documentation, while three suspects were arrested on charges including fraud, possession of counterfeit goods and aiding undocumented migrants.
Other arrests were linked to looting of foreign-owned shops in Bhisho, Ntabankulu and Stutterheim, as well as incitement to violence in Alexandria.
Adonisi said the organisations would continue monitoring the government’s response.
“We will continue to march, petition and engage departments until we see measurable action,” he said.
Daily Dispatch