KZN mayor vows to have the last word with illegal foreigners after Easter

An IFP mayor in KwaZulu-Natal has put undocumented immigrants on notice, declaring their time is up and vowing a crackdown once the Easter holidays conclude. Mduduzi Myeza, mayor of Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality in Estcourt, posted the warning on Facebook on Thursday. He added that he had received intel that the alleged illegal foreigners stated that they were not going anywhere.

To that, he said, “We will see who will have the last word.” Myeza further issued a plea to building owners subletting their properties to foreign nationals. “Those people who are owning buildings particularly in town should stop giving illegal foreigners buildings,” he said. According toNews24, the Southern Africa Refugee Organisations Forum (Sarof) condemned the directive, reminding Myeza that the majority of people he labels “illegal migrants” are in fact documented refugees and asylum seekers, legally permitted to live within communities under South African national government policy.

The forum reportedly condemned Myeza’s behaviour. It called his actions “scapegoating” to secure votes in the upcoming local elections. “The unpunished human rights abuse orchestrated in KwaNongoma is a serious concern as it is an impetus to other violence in the province, and may escalate if not prevented,” the group stated.

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Myeza’s remarks come amid a broader wave of anti-immigration sentiment nationally. In the Eastern Cape, traditional leaders have united in demanding the deportation of a Nigerian national coronated as an Igbo king in KuGompo City.

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