‘Don’t employ foreigners’ – Limpopo SAPS

Provincial police deputy commissioner Jan Scheepers has warned farmers who continue to employ illegal immigrants, that they could be liable to a R15 000 fine if found guilty.

Scheepers addressed farmers on Saturday during a rural safety awareness campaign at Bergnek outside Polokwane about crime within their society, Capricorn Voice reports.

He said crime was killing farmers while the country depends on them for food security. The reality, he added, was that there were foreigners who illegally entered the country and committed crimes within the communities.

READ MORE: City to establish joint committee with home affairs to tackle illegal immigration

“We believe a good economy reduces the crime rate in our country and that we should fight criminals together,” said Scheepers.

He added one farmer killed in South Africa was one farmer too many, and it would lead to everyone starving as farmers provide food security.

“Our country depends on farmers for people to eat tomorrow and to mature the economy which is why we should protect them from criminal elements,” he said.

“As part of the national development plan we need to encourage communities to be part of this solution.”

Scheepers said that stock theft continued to rise, as several cases had been opened.

“Paying an illegal foreigner less money should not be reason enough to hire them, as they can commit a crime at any time and effectively disappear as they don’t have proper identification,” he explained.

“We want our farmers to confirm their foreign workers’ documents at the department of home affairs as many of these foreigners use fraudulent documents.”

Westenburg Police Station Commander, Maimele Pilusa, urges residents to not take the law into their own hands.

Westenburg Police Station commander Maimele Pilusa said unity among the community can help to reduce crime. “We are working on an activation plan to prevent thugs taking advantage of our farmers,” said Pilusa.

Taking the law into own hands, he added, is a crime and he urged the community to report crime to their nearest police station instead of resorting to vigilante justice.

“It depends on our unity as South African citizens, however, whether we are ready to fight crime,” he said.

“It worries us that things go wrong within our communities due to people failing to report criminals due to fear or misplaced loyalty as they are brothers.”

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