Fourteen undocumented immigrants were arrested in Mpumalanga on Thursday after officials checked people’s immigration status during a march against illegal immigration attended by about 1,500 people.
Videos showing hundreds of protesters marching through the streets have been circulating on social media.
The arrests were made during a demonstration linked to growing anti-migrant protests calling for stricter enforcement of immigration laws and action against undocumented foreign nationals.
Mpumalanga police confirmed that a group of people staged a march, which was monitored by police from about 9am.
The march began at a park in Vosman and proceeded to the Witbank Central Business District (CBD) in the Emalahleni Local Municipality under the Nkangala District.
An estimated 1,500 people took part in the march.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli said the march unfolded peacefully and without major incidents.
“Members of the SAPS, together with other law enforcers, were deployed accordingly, for the safety of all, including road users and members of the public.
“The march went on without any major incidents and culminated in the handing over of a memorandum to the Executive Mayor of Emalahleni Local Municipality,” he said.
He said foreign nationals were processed by the Department of Home Affairs.
“It was during this time when it was discovered that amongst them, 14 had no valid documentation to be in South Africa hence they were apprehended then charged accordingly.”
Mpumalanga acting provincial police commissioner Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi vowed that police, together with other law enforcement agencies, would continue to be vigilant and ensure that members of the public obey the law.
“While communities have the right to raise their concerns through lawful and peaceful means, we strongly discourage any form of vigilantism.
“We encourage people to work together with law enforcement agencies and report criminal activities through the proper legal channels,” he added.
The arrests come amid a growing national debate over illegal immigration, border control and law enforcement.
The march involved members of the March and March and Abahambe movements.
The two groups have been organising marches across South Africa calling for stricter enforcement of immigration laws and action against undocumented foreign nationals.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane issued a strong warning against lawlessness amid protests targeting illegal foreigners, saying that only authorities can enforce immigration laws.
Dimpane reiterated that no one or group is allowed to take the law into their own hands.
The warning comes after deadly unrest linked to anti-immigrant tensions has been reported in parts of South Africa, including the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.
In Mossel Bay’s KwaNonqaba area, violence broke out last week on Friday, May 29, in the Asla Park informal settlement, where around 55 shacks were set alight.
Police, firefighters, and disaster management teams responded and managed to restore order, though several people were displaced.
The unrest turned deadly over the weekend, with two Mozambican nationals and a 19-year-old South African, Nhlamulo Sambo, killed in separate incidents.
Police clarified that the deaths are not directly linked to immigration-related tensions.
Sambo was confronted during an alleged attempted theft and later found with stab wounds in a separate area.
Last month, Ghana began a voluntary repatriation programme, with 295 nationals returning home amid rising concerns over safety and increasing anti-immigration sentiment in South Africa.
IOL News
Simon Majadibodu
iol.co.za
