What was meant to be a routine community meeting hosted by the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and police in Sector 4 turned into a heated debate on illegal immigration.

The meeting, held on Wednesday evening at the Altrec Sports Complex, was intended to provide residents with an overview of crime in the area and serve as an accountability platform where they could pose questions to authorities, according to CPF Sector 4 chairperson Sandile Mavundla.

Read more: CPF meeting to spotlight crime in Sector 4

But instead, the issue of undocumented foreign nationals became the central focus for much of the question-and-answer session, underscoring the residents’ attitude toward the issue of illegal immigration in the community.

Leader of the Ziyakhala Movement, Dumisani Nkosi, challenged police on the matter of foreign nationals occupying RDP houses. “If the police are worried about South Africans evicting foreign nationals in RDPs, where do they want them [South Africans] to live, at the police station? We are still going to take houses,” he said. He claimed that station commanders are, in a day, at least required to arrest 50 undocumented foreign nationals. He alleged that most undocumented foreign nationals who get arrested are later released, but the police did not respond to this claim.

Residents further complained that when they report crimes, police are slow to act, yet allegedly respond swiftly when foreign nationals report crimes against South Africans.

Also read: CPF chairperson makes forum a reliable go-to for residents grappling with crime

Station commander Brigadier Vusimuzi Ngubane highlighted the role of South Africans in exacerbating the issue, pointing out that some landlords rent their properties to foreign nationals.

He cautioned against vigilantism, warning that community members risk facing serious charges if they take the law into their own hands. “A person would get beaten and come to the police station, and would identify you as a suspect. And police are then compelled to arrest the named suspect,” he said.

He added that illegal evictions often lead to cases of malicious damage to property being opened against South Africans.

While the police previously empathised with how some undocumented immigrants contribute to crime in Alexandra, police urged residents to refrain from vigilantism, which could land them in jail.

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