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Criminals are increasingly exploiting anti-migrant sentiments to intimidate and rob foreign nationals in Limpopo, with some pretending to be law enforcement officials or community crime fighters — but the police are fighting back and have arrested seven suspects in two separate cases linked to the targeting of migrants.
In Lephalale, a multidisciplinary law enforcement team arrested five suspects aged between 20 and 58 during an intelligence-driven operation in Marapong township in the early hours of Monday.
The arrests followed a complaint by a Nigerian national who owns a lounge in the township. He told police that a group of community members confronted him at his business on July 9 and ordered him to shut it down, claiming that as a foreign national he had no right to operate a business in South Africa.
The group allegedly threatened to destroy his business and demanded that he leaves the country.
Police said the businessman was later escorted to the department of home affairs in Lephalale, where his immigration documents were checked and confirmed to be valid.
He then opened a case of intimidation at Lephalale police station.
No individual or community group is authorised to enforce immigration laws or conduct inspections of identity or immigration documents. Such functions are the sole responsibility of duly authorised law enforcement and government officials
— Maj-Gen Jan Scheepers, acting Limpopo police commissioner
Investigators believe the suspects were among those allegedly mobilising community members against undocumented foreign nationals and encouraging the unlawful removal of foreign nationals from the township.
Acting Limpopo police commissioner Maj-Gen Jan Scheepers warned: “No individual or community group is authorised to enforce immigration laws or conduct inspections of identity or immigration documents. Such functions are the sole responsibility of duly authorised law enforcement and government officials.”
He urged members of the public to report concerns about undocumented foreign nationals to the relevant authorities instead of taking the law into their own hands.
The five suspects are expected to appear in the Lephalale magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
In a separate incident, police arrested two men, aged 19 and 28, after they allegedly pretended to be community policing forum (CPF) members and stopped a Zimbabwean national.
The victim was robbed of his cellphone and R440 before managing to escape while the suspects searched him further.
Police tracked down the suspects and arrested them. Officers recovered the victim’s cellphone, a replica firearm and a knife.
Preliminary investigations have also linked the pair to another house robbery committed earlier this month.
The suspects, aged 19 and 28, made a brief court appearance and were remanded until July 21.
Scheepers welcomed the arrests.
“Anyone who engages in criminal conduct will be dealt with in terms of the law.”
TimesLIVE
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