Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
Photo: GCIS
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
Photo: GCIS
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has warned the group of refugees who have been occupying spaces around the Cape Town CBD since October that they must integrate into South African society or return to their countries of origin.
Speaking at Parliament during a briefing of his committee, Motsoaledi said that acts of criminality perpetuated by members of the group would not be accepted, and he said that sympathy for their plight would only stretch as far as they were willing to cooperate with relevant agencies.
“We are ready to welcome refugees. We are prepared to integrate them into communities,” he said.
“The countries that they want to go to are not ready to welcome them. Namibia has put it in writing.”
“I think, if this option is not taken, I don’t think the country has any option but to insist then that we must take people back to their countries of origin.”
Motsoaledi Slams municipalities
Motsoaledi also remanded the municipalities of major metros for failing to deal with the ongoing situation effectively, saying they had prefered to place the blame at his doorstep.
“I must point out that while the events in Cape Town and Pretoria unfolded, I addressed a letter to the President of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in which I expressed strong sentiments of disapproval of the failure of the City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane and City of Cape Town to enforce by-laws.”
“I urged the Mayors of three municipalities to enforce their by-laws as it became clear that they were reluctant to do so, in cases involving foreign nationals,” Motsoaledi said.
He accused the City of Cape Town of blundering its responsibility to impose bylaws on the refugees, slamming the local government for passing off the blame to his department.
“The court heavily criticised the City of Cape Town for failing to enforce its by-laws and particularly failure to effect arrests by the metro police. Instead, the City tried to shift the blame to the department. We hope that the judgment serves as a wake-up call to the City to vigorously enforce its by-law,” he said.
In response to the accusations, the City’s Executive Director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, told the committee that the City had done all it could to engage with refugees under the circumstances.
“I’d like to clarify we did enforce our by-laws. The reason why the City went to court is because we wanted further relieve. We are considering going to court again,” he said.
City to return to court
Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, said that will seek to obtain further mandate from the courts to assist it with imposing its bylaws.
“The City will be returning to the Western Cape High Court for further relief regarding the situation,” Smith said on Thursday 5 March.
Following multiple complaints from residents and business owners surrounding the Cape Town Central Police Station, where the refugees have been camped out since they were removed from Zonnebloem Park, Smith says that the City will take all necessary action to quell the tense situation.
“In light of the significant complaints arising from residents and businesses in and around Albertus Street, the City has, and will continue to do everything within its mandate to protect the interests of its residents and businesses by enforcing its by-laws and will hold those accountable who are in contempt of the court order.”
