Migrant businessmen want officials of Nkosi Langalibalele Municipality and the mayor, Mr. Mduduzi “Sobholenyoni” Myeza to be allowed to approach their shops.
88 businessmen who work in the town of Mtshezi filed an urgent application at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, seeking an injunction to prevent council officials and Meeza from approaching their shops.
Immigrant businessmen also want the court to issue an injunction that will stop council officials and Meeza from closing their shops and making speeches that discriminate against immigrants.
The businessmen presented themselves in court after Myeza gave them yesterday’s deadline to leave Mtshezi.
Immigrant shops in Mtshezi have since been closed on April 24 after a protest against undocumented immigrants led by Myeza.
The businessman’s lawyer, Advocate Paul Pretorius, said that the council officers confiscated the keys of the shops from the immigrant businessmen.
Pretorius said the keys were even returned on Monday after they filed a lawsuit.
“Also, the keys were given to the employees of these stores. Myeza said that the employees are not the ones who manage the immigrant stores.”
Pretorius said immigrants feel unsafe.
The lawyer for the council and Myeza, Advocate Khuboni, said that Myeza and council officials will be disturbed in their work if the court issues a restraining order preventing them from approaching the shops of immigrants.
“It is their job to check that all the shops are following the rules. They will not be able to do their job if they are told not to go near the shops of immigrants.”
Khuboni said the council’s campaign is not against all immigrants, he said it is against those who are in the country illegally.
“Those who have permits to be in this country should not worry.”
The court will issue a decision today.
In another case, Myeza was ordered to remove all hate speech.
The request for Myeza to remove the comments on social media was submitted by an organization fighting for immigrants, Kopanang Africans Against Xenophobia.
Judge Elsje-Marie Bezuidenhout issued a temporary ruling ordering Mieza to withdraw the speeches on his behalf.
Myeza has been given two days to remove all hate speech. The court also issued an order that he should not make any more hateful speech against immigrants.
The case will return to court on August 20. Myeza’s lawyer, Mr. Xolani Zuma, said that Myeza will remove the racist comments.
“This is not the end of the case. He will look at all the discriminatory statements and remove them. He will remove everything that is not written by him that is written by people who comment on things he writes on social media.”
Zuma said that Myeza will not write racist speeches.
“He has a lot of respect for the law.”