Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stark warning to South African employers who knowingly hire undocumented foreign nationals, stating they could face imprisonment. Addressing Parliament during a question-and-answer session on Thursday, the President emphasised that the Immigration Act explicitly prohibits the employment of illegal immigrants who lack the necessary documentation.
Ramaphosa made it clear that the law considers such actions a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment, a fine, or both. "I want to state it very clearly that employers who continue to employ people who are not documented are committing an offence. And we are going to make sure that those employers stop what they are doing," he asserted.
The President's warning came in response to a question from IFP MP and chief whip Nhlanhla Hadebe, who sought clarity on government interventions to tackle the country's illegal immigration crisis and secure its borders. Ramaphosa acknowledged the strain that illegal immigration places on South Africa's social services and its potential to undermine national security.
He highlighted the concerns of South Africans who feel that employers are exploiting illegal immigrants as cheap labour. The President also referenced the recent tragic bus crash in Limpopo, which claimed the lives of 43 Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals, and the discovery of anti-retroviral drugs at the scene on 13 October. These events, he said, have understandably heightened public concerns about undocumented migrants.
However, Ramaphosa cautioned against resorting to vigilantism, stressing that such actions are counterproductive and undermine the rule of law. He emphasised the importance of upholding legal processes in addressing the issue of illegal immigration.
To demonstrate the government's commitment to tackling the problem, Ramaphosa revealed that over 51,000 illegal immigrants were deported in the past financial year.
"One area of work is to detect, apprehend, and deport illegal migrants in our country. This is mainly done through intelligence-driven joint operations, planned and executed by the Department of Home Affairs, the inland inspectorate and other structures," he told parliament.
The President also highlighted the role of the newly established Border Management Authority, which has deployed 600 border guards to vulnerable sections of the country's border to prevent undocumented and inadmissible migrants from entering. He further noted the effectiveness of using drones and body cameras to create a more secure and digital border environment, as relayed to him by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.
Addressing Gang Violence in the Western Cape
Ramaphosa also addressed the issue of escalating gang violence, particularly in the Western Cape province. EFF leader Julius Malema, in absentia, questioned the President about the mass killing of seven men in the Better Life informal settlement in Philippi, Cape Town, in October. Malema also inquired about the government's concerns regarding the "daily killings and mass murders in Cape Town" and the policing policy interventions planned to "guarantee the safety" of people living in the city’s townships.
Ramaphosa assured Parliament that the Philippi case remains under active investigation, with five suspects having been arrested to date. He stated that the South African Police Service, in collaboration with the Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town, is implementing an integrated, intelligence-led, multidisciplinary approach to counter organised criminal networks and restore stability in affected areas.
"As part of this broader framework, Operation Lockdown – implemented as a national intervention operation – was launched to stabilise, identified high crime precincts through the deployment of specialised national resources and technical units," Ramaphosa explained.
He outlined immediate and medium-term policing interventions currently being implemented, including enhanced intelligence capability, which involves strengthening intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination to proactively identify and disrupt gang operations. These interventions also include Operation Shanela and Project Combat, which focus on recovering illegal firearms, dismantling drug distribution networks, and apprehending wanted gang affiliates.
Tackling the Root Causes of Crime
President Ramaphosa emphasised that addressing incidents of criminality requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond superficial measures. He stressed the importance of tackling the root causes of crime, which he identified as the country's challenging economic situation.
"And clearly, the root cause is the economic situation that we find ourselves in as a country. Low economic growth results in our people becoming desperate, looking for short-term solutions to advance their own livelihoods," Ramaphosa said.
He argued that a comprehensive strategy is needed to increase economic growth and instil confidence in investors. "Investors will never come into a situation where there is gang violence, where there’s a lack of service delivery," he concluded.
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