By Marcus Moloko
Cellphone video footage has ignited fierce debate in Tshwane. In the footage, Executive Mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya stands before officers, her voice sharp with frustration.
She claims to have arrested the same undocumented foreign national three times in as many weeks, only to see him released.
The video footage highlights ongoing growing unease about undocumented migration and the perception that the system is failing to hold offenders accountable.
In the days following the video’s release, police in a statement announced nationwide operations.
Over 8,896 foreign nationals were arrested in just two weeks for contravening the Immigration Act.
Some face additional charges, including murder, rape, and possession of unlicensed firearms, underscoring the seriousness of the crackdown.
In Gauteng alone, more than 800 undocumented foreign nationals were detained last week. At Losberg Kloof Mine in Westonaria, a joint operation with the SANDF netted 217 suspects, targeting illegal mining and related crimes.
In Reitz, Free State, police raided a biscuit factory, arresting nine undocumented workers and threatening closure of the business for non-compliance.
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Among the arrests in Limpopo, five suspects posing as Home Affairs officials were caught intimidating foreign nationals. Their target, a Nigerian businessman, was later confirmed to be legally documented. The incident prompted Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane to issue a stern warning.
“Violence, whether perpetrated by South Africans or foreign nationals, destroys communities, erodes trust, and will never be tolerated.”
This warning comes some days after Andile Mvuyiselwa Somgaxa, Gauteng leader of March and March, was gunned down outside his Johannesburg home.
For Tshwane, the mayor’s video remains a symbol of the tension between enforcement and justice.
