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Govt 'is looking the other way'
24/07/2007 08:14 - (SA)
Marietie Louw-Carstens, Beeld
Polokwane - The police in Limpopo are no longer allowed to give statistics to the media on how many illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe are being arrested in the province.
Provincial police spokesperson Ronel Otto said on Monday that enquiries concerning illegal immigrants arrested in the Musina district at the weekend were being handled by the police's national media spokespersons.
Otto released figures the previous week, when she said more than 6 000 illegal immigrants had been arrested in the first two weeks of July.
She referred all queries to captain Dennis Adrio, the national police spokesperson. He did not on Monday respond to questions about how many illegal immigrants were arrested in Limpopo over the weekend.
Catastrophe
Meanwhile Agri SA has expressed concern about the broken fences on the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe, which could possibly lead to animal diseases spreading.
On Monday, chairperson of the DA, Joe Seremane and Mark Lowe, the party's spokesperson for home affairs, visited the Beit Bridge border post.
The DA released a statement saying the Department of Home Affairs was not doing the necessary to accommodate the large numbers of illegal immigrants.
The statement said Minister (Nosiviwe) Mapisa-Nqakula remained deathly quiet while a tragedy was developing.
The DA last week suggested that the government creates refugee camps for illegal immigrants.
Cleo Mosana, spokesperson for the minister, described the DA suggestion as "cheap politicking".
Lowe said Mapisa-Nqakula was looking the other way.
The DA challenged Mapisa-Nqakula to visit Beit Bridge herself.
"Farmers are complaining that the police are not in control of the situation," said Lowe.
"The government cannot continue to deny that there is currently a catastrophe."
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