‘Innocent people are going to be killed’ - Makhura pleads for end to vigilante attacks
Gauteng Premier David Makhura says concerns over crime cannot justify the decision by some to take the law into their own hands.
He was speaking in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg on Friday.
Makhura and Police Minister Bheki Cele returned to Diepsloot for a third day to engage with the community over the recent crime-related protests.
They were joined by Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi.
Some community members are blaming undocumented foreign nationals for the spate of violent crimes, including rape and murder.
Frustration over what they believe to be police inaction has seen some people taking it upon themselves to check for valid identity documents.
But Makhura warns that no one should be allowed to crack down on illegal immigrants.
“We can’t have people who are moving door to door saying they are identifying the illegal foreign nationals; it is not the job of anybody to do that except the law enforcement agencies,” he said.
“Once anyone is allowed to do that, innocent people are going to be killed. Even if someone is in South Africa illegally, they cannot be killed, the law enforcement agencies have a responsibility, Home Affairs and that work is being done at a great pace in our country.”
He says the provincial government is dealing with the issue of illegal businesses.
“We are going all over the province to deal with the local businesses that are operating here. We also don’t want businesses that are operating illegally, including those that are actually conducting illegal business as what they do.
“Some of them the community pointed to us, people they say are selling drugs. We are going to crack down on all of that and not only just Diepsloot.”
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