Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. Picture: GCIS
More than 100 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested in Johannesburg on Friday evening.
The group, which consisted of 98 Ethiopian nationals and 4 Malawians, were living at the home in Primrose, east of Johannesburg.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed that the illegal immigrants, some of whom were not “in good health”, were detained at a nearby police station.
“It’s a huge house that’s why it could [accommodate] 102 people, but the conditions [were poor]… it’s just blankets, dirty pots and dirty plates all over the floor,” Motsoaledi said.
Some of the foreign nationals were dehydrated and had to be transferred to hospital, according to the minister.
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“I looked at them and saw those who were dehydrated. Obviously when they arrive at the hospital they will tell us exactly the reason of dehydration. The medical examination will determine this.”
Motsoaledi said he believed the group could have been trafficked and brought to South Africa to run spaza shops.
“I think the house is being used to bring people into the country and distribute them all over for whoever wants cheap labour,” the minister told reporters.
“We have got to check them clearly because they are clearly victims, especially the 10-year-olds among them. They are victims that might have been trafficked.”
The minister indicated that the alleged kingpin of the house was believed to be a 39-year-old Ethiopian national who has refugee status in the country.
“He has got our refugee status documents which has been renewed four times already and the person’s status only expires in 2026 so he is basically misusing it… we are going to have to deal with him. He has been a refugee in South Africa sine 2009.”
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He also revealed the four of the foreign nationals have passports, but were “meaningless because there are no visas inside”.
“I don’t think they all came at the same time. I don’t think it’s one consignment of people who came.
“When you come from Ethiopia to South Africa, you need a visa, but secondly there are no stamps in the passport. There’s no indication that they went though any formal border so they just carrying the passports but vey clearly came illegally,” the minister said.
Motsoaledi added that the manager of the home was apprehended.
“He said something about being paid R15 000… so we still have to look for the owner.”
Motsoaledi added that government was in the process of changing immigration laws.
“We are about to send a white paper to the Cabinet because we need to do a radical overhaul of the migration system of the country; there is no question about it.”
Motsoaledi previously appointed an investigative committee within the Department of Home Affairs to review all fraudulent permits and visas issued since 2004.
A Border Management Authority was also set up.
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