Gauteng govt won’t accept foreigners ‘who enter illegally, commit crimes’

Gauteng premier David Makhura says the Gauteng government will accept foreigners who add value to the economy through their skills, but not those who enter illegally or commit crimes inside the country.

Makhura said it was not xenophobic to block illegal immigrants, confiscate counterfeit goods or stop human trafficking and illegal weapons entering the country.

Deporting undocumented and illegal immigrants was an international practice that had nothing to do with xenophobia.

According to Makhura, as a signatory to several conventions, including the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the aspects of Refugees, South Africa was a human rights-based democracy that took a progressive posture when it came to foreigners seeking asylum.

“Therefore, our policy as a province regarding the documentation and identification of foreign traders is guided by both the international conventions and the national policies of trading,” he said.

“The refugees have had to find ways of making a living. As a result, they are mainly in the informal sector as street traders.

“This is mainly managed through the bylaws of the cities and where there are those trading illegally and trading in illegal counterfeit goods, the law takes its course. This must be understood in the context of ensuring law and order.”

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