By Akani Nkuna
Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has warned that the actions of the leaders of recent widespread anti-migrant protests across the country have economic consequences, and emphasised that those leading the groups may be civilly liable and criminally charged after some of the protests were reported to have had fatalities and disruptions to properties.
Speaking during the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration briefing in Pretoria, on Friday, Cachalia said that the leaders of protests are reckless and disruptive against the national interests of citizens and country at large. He said that their actions come at a diplomatic, economic, and financial cost to South Africa.
“So those who are involved in organising this disruptive behaviour accompanied by violence — we have heard that there have been fatalities — will have to pay the costs of both their criminal actions, and they will also be held civilly liable,” he said.
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“I do not know if many of them are aware that they can be held civilly liable for any injury or damage to property that is the result of their efforts at incitement. So, what we’re experiencing is not costless. And that must become part of the national conversation.”
The committee, made up of ministers from across many departments, including the Department of Labour and International Relations and Cooperations (DIRCO), provided an update on the South African government’s approach to migration management.
This follows the proposed 30 June national shutdown by civil organisation March and March, which was led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, that has facilitated numerous anti-migration protests across the country protesting against the huge volume of illegal and undocumented migrants in South Africa.
Cachalia assured that the law enforcement officers’ deployment will be heightened, leading to 30 June, saying that human, technological, and physical resources have been thoroughly deployed across the country to counter the potential threat and disruptive nature they anticipate the national shutdown will be.
He emphasised, however, that 30 June was a normal day and encouraged citizens to go on with their day, including attending work and other activities.
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The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Chairperson of IMC, Mmamoloko Kubayi, said that 15,162 Malawian nationals who had camped at Sherwood, in Durban, have been processed for repatriation, highlighting that their situation had become a humanitarian crisis demanding urgent and swift intervention.
She said that working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, including other international organisations and domestic humanitarian institutions, the IMC has resolved to identify a site in Musina, Limpopo, to be used as a Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre (TRPC).
“TRPC will enable faster processing and verification of undocumented foreign nationals, facilitate more efficient clearance through the Beitbridge Port of Entry and serve as a decentralised processing point, reducing reliance on Lindela and improving overall system throughput,” said Kubayi.
Meanwhile, DIRCO Minister Ronald Lamola has called on leaders of African countries to continue to engage diplomatically with SA during this period, acknowledging that protests turning violent sometimes was not an invitation to spread misinformation and stereotypes against the SA government.
“Let us deal with the reality, and I think that is what the South African government is dealing with: the reality of the situation. We will need cooperation from our counterparts, as we engage, we engage in a cordial and diplomatic manner as we deal with this issue, because it can be volatile,” Lamola said.
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