Government in the process of buying Lindela Repatriation Centre

After guards’ protests that led to the escape of 37 foreign nationals at Lindela Repatriation Centre last week, the government plans on buying the centre, near Krugersdorp in Gauteng.

Chairperson of parliament’s portfolio committee on home affairs Bongani Bongo said the government is in the process of buying the centre so that Home Affairs can take full control of it, as reported by the SABC.

Committee members have raised their concerns on the poor management at the centre after they visited the facility on Monday morning.

Bongo said underperforming service providers at the centre will have their contracts cancelled.

“You’ll note that the department is not the service provider. So, the providers are just with the service providers. What we’ll be monitoring to do is to cancel certain service providers that are not doing their work to the satisfaction of government and to cede other contracts where necessary.

“Then the situation will get back to normal. Those people who were found to have caused the situation that happened here last week will be taken to task and some of these companies are going to be cancelled because we need to get the government to do its work properly.”

Bongo added that they will assess whether the centre was adhering to the health protocols against Covid-19.

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has alleged that the escape of 37 foreign nationals was an inside job, facilitated by the security guards employed at the facility who were protesting against poor working conditions.

(Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele)

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