Kunene says illegal immigrants are ‘slaves’ on SA farms

Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene has accused farmers in the Western Cape of recruiting illegal immigrants from Lesotho to come work on their farms.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Kunene said he had met with some of the undocumented, who told him how they got into South Africa.

“They said in Lesotho they were recruited for jobs in South Africa. They then crossed a river and a bus was waiting for them in South Africa. They got on the bus to the farms,” said Kunene.

Businesses owners blamed for employing illegal immigrants

He alleged business owners were running syndicates and employing illegal immigrants “to exclude South Africans from employment”

“South Africans want salaries because South Africans have rights,” said Kunene.

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‘We are also liberating them from slavery’

According to Kunene, illegal immigrants were treated as slaves on farms and in some factories.

“We see it happening in the warehouses in Tshwane, Kempton, Johannesburg. South Africans are not employed, illegal immigrants are employed. They are given slave salaries and treated like slaves,” he said.

Despite being in a government of national unity (GNU), Kunene insisted that the PA’s position was to drive all illegal immigrants from the country.

“When we say they must go back to their countries, we are also liberating them from slavery,” he said.

Kunene said he had no faith in the current Home Affairs minister, Leon Schrieber, to protect the borders from illegal immigrants.

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“We did not trust anyone to protect our borders except ourselves. Unfortunately, the president decided to give it to the DA (Democratic Alliance), but we are happy where we are,” he said.

Kunene accused the DA of using the Home Affairs portfolio to gain support for the next elections.

“I think it’s a strategy of the party that Minister belongs to. They are trying to gain more votes because they might even give them [foreign nationals] IDs, South African IDs, and make them citizens,” added Kunene.