A final warning to foreign nationals residing in Seshego

POLOKWANE – The Chairperson of the Seshego Community Against Crime and Gangsterism (Scacag) organisation, Vincent Kunutu, says the deadline for foreign nationals residing in Seshego to vacate the area, has been extended to February 2.

Kunutu addressed a large crowd during Operation Sepelang at the Seshego Stadium on Sunday, which saw the community visiting households and residences occupied by illegal immigrants and foreign nationals.

The visit included, among others, the verification and authenticity of passports and work permits.

“This is the second operation from the one we had in December and the message was and is still the same. The idea for Operation Sepelang stemmed from the fact that these people don’t want to leave the area and they are arrogant. Their attitude has propelled us to give them an ultimatum and deadline. If they don’t leave those residential areas by that given date, we will be forced to remove them out of those houses ourselves. We are tired of them, they have overstayed their welcome,” Kunutu told BONUS.

During the operation, Kunutu says they found most of the foreign nationals to be Zimbabweans with incorrect documentation and expired passports. “What baffled us the most is how they are still in the country if their passports have expired. It does not make sense.”

Kunutu says foreign nationals are the biggest contributer to the high crime rate in Seshego and that it was a ‘safer place before we started sharing it with others’. “We don’t owe them anything. They must go to their native countries,” he said.

Seshego Zone 1 resident, Malebo Raleputu says her and her family were once held hostage in their home by a group of Zimbabweans three years ago, who demanded jewellery, personal goods and money.

“They aimed a firearm at my son, who was four years old at the time, and he has still not recovered. The police came to our house for fingerprints and they could not find the Zimbabweans on their system because they are not documented.

“They are here illegally and they do as they please because the South African law is flawed. We are sick and tired of them, they must go back to their countries. We can’t live in fear in our own country,” she told BONUS.

She added that the foreigners are a problem to society and “the sooner they leave the country the better”. “We want them to return to their own country. They are the biggest contributor to the high rate of unemployment in the country because they take jobs away from South African citizens.

“Our graduates have standards and they are highly qualified and they can’t settle for anything. The foreigners are taking anything irrespective of their qualifications and minimising opportunities for South African graduates to negotiate with the employer.”