The Nigerian husband of a prominent politician was arrested in Bloemfontein after allegedly harboring about 28 undocumented foreigners at his guest house, while a death certificate of a South African woman was found during the raid.
The arrest, confirmed on Tuesday by Free State Prime Minister MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, has prompted an extensive police and immigration investigation into the circumstances surrounding the occupants of the property and the official documents allegedly found in the suspect’s possession.
According to Letsoha-Mathae, police discovered between 28 and 29 people at the guest house, where they had reportedly stayed for about seven days without leaving the premises.
“It is a guest house where about 28 to 29 people were arrested for hiding in this place,” she said.
“When we ask how long they have been here, we are told that they have been hiding here for seven days. They don’t go out. They don’t do anything there. But someone comes and brings them some food.”
The discovery comes as Protests against illegal immigration continue in various parts of South Africawith renewed attention being paid to immigration enforcement and the movement of undocumented aliens.
Letsoha-Mathae said the case was especially worrying because the guesthouse is owned by a senior politician from Mangaung District.
She confirmed that the politician’s husband had been taken into custody but had not yet been formally charged.
‘The man has not yet been charged. He will be transported to the nearest police station. We will know later today what charges he faces,” she said.
The Prime Minister warned against speculation and said investigators were still determining whether residents had lawfully booked accommodation or had deliberately hidden in the property.
“They’re still doing their investigation, looking at the guest book, whether people have actually booked… Those are the areas I can’t comment on but will leave them to the police to complete their investigation,” she said.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the identity or nationality of each person arrested.
However, Letsoha-Mathae said initial findings indicate many are undocumented aliens from Ethiopia and Nigeria, among others.
“What we observed or what the police found is that most of them do not have documents. They are illegal immigrants from different countries,” she said.
Immigration officials assist police by verifying the legal status of those in custody.
The investigation deepened after officers reportedly found a Nigerian passport, along with the death certificate and South African ID of a deceased woman.
“This person has a Nigerian passport, but is in possession of a death certificate of a South African woman and a South African woman’s ID,” Letsoha-Mathae said.
She said authorities are also investigating how a visa linked to the deceased woman was allegedly obtained after her death, describing the circumstances as highly suspicious and requiring further investigation.
Police have not yet announced formal charges against the arrested man and the investigation into the guesthouse, the undocumented aliens and the recovered documents remains ongoing.
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Kamogelo Moichela
iol.co.za