South Africa steps up crackdown on illegal immigration, Zimbabweans in panic – ZimEye

South Africa – Police and Home Affairs officials have stepped up raids and arrests of illegal immigrants, including Zimbabweans.

Many illegal immigrants who fled economic hardship now face uprooting their homes again. “I came to South Africa looking for a chance to rebuild my life,” says Hardlife Shoko*, an undocumented immigrant from Shurugwi. Shoko works odd jobs, sometimes on farms, and claims: “There is real exploitation because the farm owners say we don’t earn much because we work there and don’t pay rent.”
“I was constantly worried I would be caught and deported. Every day was a struggle to avoid attention but keep working,” he added.
Nothando Sibanda*, who works as a waiter in a restaurant, asked the South African authorities for sympathy and for time to regularize his status.
“We know the laws have to be enforced, but can they understand our background and our lives? We just need to work, survive and support our families back home,” she said.
South Africa’s home affairs minister said in his first speech to parliament that while the country will extend temporary concessions for foreigners waiting for their visa applications (including those appealing visa refusals) to December 31, 2024, the country still needs to do more to crack down on illegal immigration.
“This problem needs to be addressed in a sustained, comprehensive, and collaborative way. Next year, the Department of the Interior will increase the number of inspections of restaurants, grocery stores, farms, and mines by more than 50 percent and take action against those employed illegally, including deportation,” Schreiber said.
Schreiber noted that these checks would be best done in partnership with other departments, such as the Department of Employment and Labour, the South African Police Service and local government.
“I will be liaising with colleagues in relevant departments to launch a joint operation to hold all those involved in illegal activities to account to the maximum extent possible.”
Recently, Faith Mazibuko, executive committee member (MEC) of the Gauteng Ministry of Social Development, also issued a stern warning to landlords across South Africa, saying that upcoming police raids will target unlicensed tenants, and if landlords are found to be harbouring such people, they will face arrest.
“Residents across South Africa who have undocumented tenants need to take immediate action. When police raids begin, anyone will be arrested, including landlords. As a landlord, it is your obligation to request all documents from your tenants,” said Mazibuko.
“There is a new trend where people are being rounded up at their place of work or residence and taken to the police station where they are asked to pay a huge fee – around R3500 – for their release,” he said. “It looks like the South African Police Service is using migrants to raise funds.”
Mabhena noted that while South Africa had the power to arrest anyone who violated immigration laws, the best solution was to register undocumented immigrants.
“The South African middle class and big companies hire migrant labour and exploit them. We believe the best way to deal with migrant labour is to document the undocumented,” he said. “Arresting undocumented migrants is nothing new. It has been going on since 1994, even during apartheid, but it is not a solution.”
Mabhena said registering migrant workers in South Africa was a viable solution for all parties.
“The example of 2010 is good. Those without documents were given permits and we saw a reduction in the number of arrests of migrants, especially those from Zimbabwe,” he said.

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