By Simon Nare
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has revealed that Cabinet has approved a comprehensive migration strategy developed by an inter-ministerial committee, as tensions between South Africans and foreign nationals continue to fuel protests across the country.
Ntshavheni, speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing on Friday, said details of the plan will be outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa during a national address on government’s response to migration, amid growing pressure ahead of a June 30 deadline set by anti-immigration groups for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
She did not indicate when the president would address the nation.
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“Cabinet received and approved a comprehensive approach to migration in South Africa, developed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, and also approved the National Action Plan Country Report on Migration in South Africa,” Ntshavheni said.
She said the president would provide details of government’s coordinated response to illegal immigration following work undertaken by several departments.
“There is work that is being coordinated, as we have indicated in previous briefings, parliamentary debates and statements issued by colleagues in the justice cluster,” she said.
“Government has for a long time been engaged in efforts to deal with migration, and we have been consolidating that work. We will leave the details of this comprehensive approach to be explained and outlined by the president.”
Ntshavheni said some of the measures to be announced would include labour inspections and joint compliance operations at companies.
She, however, warned anti-immigration protesters against taking the law into their own hands, saying government would protect the constitutional right to protest but would not tolerate unlawful actions.
“South Africans have no right to take the law into their own hands and, as we have indicated before, nobody is going to shut down this country. We must be very clear about that,” she said.
The minister said government was preparing for the June 30 deadline announced by anti-immigration groups but declined to provide details, arguing that doing so could compromise law-enforcement operations.
She said further information would be provided by the president during his address.
Anti-illegal immigration group March and March has issued a list of demands to government, including a call for a halt to the processing of refugee applications as tensions rise ahead of the threatened national shutdown over undocumented foreign nationals.
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The group said the issuing of refugee permits should be suspended until South Africa’s immigration laws are reformed.
