Limpopo Police Commissioner Calvin Sengani defended his controversial position that Zimbabweans crossing the border into South Africa may not be arrested, saying freedom of movement is everybody’s constitutional right. Sengani defended his initial statement on 1 August that Zimbabweans who crossed the border onto farms were not guilty of any crime. He said farmers are not allowed to carry out citizens’ arrests on illegal Zimbabwean refugees who wander around on their farms, unless they’ve committed crimes such as rape, robbery or farm attacks. He also denied an increase in the number of Zimbabweans crossing the border illegally over the last two weeks. Despite reports of what some immigration officials described as a “human tsunami” Sengani insisted that the number of illegal immigrants in the area had decreased over the last two weeks.
“We’ll take action against people who arrest illegals who’ve not committed any crimes, because anyone who does so is in fact guilty of a crime,” Sengani warned farmers who carry out citizens’ arrests on illegal immigrants trespassing on their land. I n the meantime organised agriculture has lashed out at the commissioner, saying he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. In a media statement TAU SA North expressed its concern over the commissioner’s apparent lack of knowledge of the laws of South Africa. Chairperson of the Soutpansberg District Agricultural Union Gideon Meiring argued that the Immigration Act (13 of 2002), compels farmers as citizens of South Africa to act as they are currently doing.
“We’re not going to stop patrolling, rounding up illegals or protecting our property. The minister (Charles Nqakula, minister of Safety and Security) said we should do something ourselves to curb crime and we’re doing that now,” Meiring added. He made it clear that TAU SA’s priority is to cooperate with the police and that the organisation is willing to discuss matters of security with the South African Police Service. “However TAU SA wants to make it clear that the safety of our members will not be compromised and that command and control cannot be sacrificed. The safeguarding of our farming districts will remain a priority among our members until the SAPS can prove to us that they have crime under control and that the border area has been stabilised.” – Staff reporter
