The Prime Minister of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Thami Ntuli, said that the provincial government as well as various agencies will hold another discussion forum this month, where the issue of illegal immigrants will be discussed.
According to Ntuli, who was delivering a speech in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, the province will reveal what action it plans to take on the issue of undocumented immigrants which continues to be a problem.
He said this discussion forum will be more than a discussion on policy, it will be an opportunity for the province to see how we move forward with immigration, public safety and peaceful coexistence.
“Together we can show that KwaZulu-Natal has the strength to deal with difficult problems and has the wisdom to solve them through consultation, cooperation and making the right decisions,” said Ntuli.
He said that they understand the concerns of different communities about the negative impact caused by undocumented immigrants in terms of security, the local economy, the labor market, the delivery of services to the people as well as the social welfare.
“The issue of migration is not a problem. The problem facing the government is how it handles the issue of migration in a way that protects the dignity of the people, ensures the observance of the law, strengthens the confidence of the people and ensures that development benefits all the people living in our communities,” said Ntuli.
He emphasized that the government will continue to distinguish between immigrants who are in the country legally, refugees, asylum seekers and those who are in the country without the approval of the law.
“Our goal is to face the facts with authenticity, problems with solutions, and concerns about leadership. We kick with both feet discrimination against immigrants but also in the same way, we do not agree with the belief that respect for the law is not mandatory,” he said.
He said the truth is that no body can fight this problem alone, he said that the government as well as the law enforcement agencies cannot overcome this problem alone if they do not get the support of the community.
Ntuli is running a campaign called Engange Ngesango Iyafohla Program of Action, which was established to detect illegal immigrants in this province. This campaign goes around factories that are suspected of hiring immigrants, to investigate those allegations and take action.
This discussion forum was similar to the one that was held earlier last month where the trustees of different government departments in the province, law enforcement agencies, indigenous leaders, businessmen, labor organizations, civil society, religious, educational and community representatives gathered.
Ntuli also urged that all public bodies be involved in the formation of solutions that will be useful.
Meanwhile: The leader of the organization against illegal immigrants, Mrs. Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma emphasized on her page on Facebook, that no one will do anything against the law on June 30. This comes as there are expected to be protests across the country encouraging undocumented immigrants to leave the country. Mrs. Ngobese-Zuma said that if the protestors engage in bad acts such as looting and vandalism, they will be giving those who do not support the protests an opportunity to find something bad to accuse them of.
