THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ANC, Mr. Fikile Mbalula, says that the protests against illegal immigrants bring down the country’s reputation.
Mbalula said that the protests that are increasing day by day make it look like South Africa is a lawless country.
He said this while speaking to the media outside where the meeting of the ANC’s executive committee is going on.
Anti-immigrant protests that started in Durban and other parts of KwaZulu-Natal have spread to other provinces as seen in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
The campaign to destroy immigrants is carried out by the organizations March and March, Operation Dudula and others.
Mbalula said it should be government agencies that run the campaign.
“What we want to emphasize as the ANC is that the law must be followed in matters that affect illegal immigrants. People cannot take the law into their own hands and act as if South Africa is a lawless country. The government must intervene in this matter.”
Mbalula said the ongoing protests make it look like people are taking the law into their own hands.
“These people who are protesting are not cooperating with government agencies and law enforcement agencies. There are laws here in South Africa. People have the right to protest but they don’t have the right to take the law into their own hands. This thing creates a bad image of South Africa. It makes it look like we are a lawless country. It makes it look like people are doing what they want.”
Mbalula said they will discuss this issue in detail at their meeting.
“We will put our heads together and see what we can do about this issue. At this meeting we will decide what should be done about this situation. After the meeting you will see the cooperation of different agencies where they will be working on this issue.”
The meeting of the executive committee was scheduled to be concluded last night.
In this meeting, the preparations for the local government elections that will be held in November will be discussed.
The ANC has started the process of appointing those who will represent it in the upcoming elections.
In this election, the ANC will do things in a different way as it has opened an opportunity for those who are not members to apply to represent it in the election.
Mbalula said people have started sending names of those they want to be mayors.
“We will conduct an interview with those whose names have been suggested. We have received too many suggestions. We are very happy to continue.”
Mbalula said the ANC is continuing to reorganize itself as it has recently made changes in its leadership in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Eastern Cape.