Lawyers warn cops to act fastIn a statement to The Zimbabwean this week, Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, head of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme at LHR condemned the plans by local business people calling themselves the Greater Gauteng Business Forum (GGBF) as being motivated by xenophobia.
The GGBFs actions seem motivated less by concern over the legality of these businesses and more to do with self interest and xenophobic sentiment toward foreigners in South Africa, said Ramjathan-Keogh.
It has no authority to undertake these actions. The law does not empower private individuals to decide who is entitled to reside in the country or operate a business. Only the Department of Home Affairs is authorized to investigate whether a foreigner is residing legally in the country, while other states institutions are empowered to authorize and regulate business. Any concerns around these issues, must be referred to the relevant authorities. LHR is also concerned by the lack of a forceful police response, and possible involvement in the evictions. The police are tasked with protecting all persons in the country and this protection must extend to protecting foreign individuals from this kind of harassment and intimidation.
There are at least nine affected areas – Freedom Park, Ramaphosa, Kagiso, Ratanda, Motsoaledi, Katlehong, Diepsloot, Tembisa, and Orlando East. In the last few weeks, GGBF has distributed eviction letters to all foreign owned businesses in the areas.
The threat of evictions bring memories of the widely-condemned xenophobic attacks in 2008 as locals attacked foreign-owned businesses and evicted foreign nationals in a violent campaign that led to the death of more than 60 people.
Police officials last week said the perpetrators of the recent evictions would be prosecuted.
Post published in: News