South Africa has detained 59,947 undocumented foreign nationals since the start of this year, as part of ongoing operations targeting illegal immigration and a range of criminal activities, authorities have announced amid a continuing wave of xenophobic incidents.
Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, co-chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), said the situation in South Africa remains stable and public order is being maintained, notwithstanding anti-immigration protests and other security challenges. The remarks were made at a press conference in Pretoria.
In July alone, security forces detained 16,208 undocumented foreigners. Operations are conducted daily across all nine provinces and encompass the apprehension of wanted suspects, seizures of illegal firearms, and action against drug trafficking, organised crime, and high-risk criminal activity.
Authorities also updated repatriation figures to 3 August, indicating that 77,184 foreign nationals had been repatriated. That figure, however, falls well short of numbers reported by some of the African countries receiving returning migrants.
Zimbabwe's government disclosed last week that it had received more than 115,000 citizens repatriated from South Africa, a figure that diverges significantly from Pretoria's official tally.
Tensions linked to demonstrations organised by anti-immigration movements persist, though NATJOINTS said the protests have decreased markedly since a major march on 30 June — a date that organisers had set as a deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
Sporadic and localised demonstrations continue to be recorded in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. Nevertheless, Lieutenant-General Mosikili stated that the majority of protests have been peaceful and within the bounds of the law.
The official also warned against the spread of false information on social media, cautioning that disinformation risks exacerbating existing tensions.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=528596
