The influx of Zimbabwean refugees into South Africa was a ”serious problem” requiring action, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said on Thursday.
”Clearly we must do more to see what we can do to deal with this large influx of refugees,” he told reporters in Pretoria.
His remarks coincided with angry reaction from political parties to a threat by Limpopo police to act against border farmers who arrested illegal immigrants.
Pahad said there were daily indications that an increasing number of people were coming into South Africa from Zimbabwe.
The inflow of Zimbabweans was sparked by escalating economic woes in their country, which have left the shelves of many shops empty.
Pahad said it was vital for South Africa to act.
”If we don’t begin to assist the Zimbabweans to solve their own problems, the flow into South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and other neighbours will increase,” he said.
”It is in our interest, nationally and morally, to see what we can do to facilitate.”
He said President Thabo Mbeki was due to report on his attempts to promote a Zimbabwean settlement to the Southern African Development Community summit, which begins on August 10.
Earlier on Thursday, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) said the influx of illegal Zimbabweans across the Limpopo border had created an emergency, and farmers there had to react.
FF+ security spokesperson Pieter Groenewald was reacting to Limpopo police chief Calvin Sengani, who said crossing the border was ”not a criminal offence that justifies harsh action”.
Sengani warned that patrolling farmers who did carry out arrests themselves faced arrest.
Groenewald said Mbeki and Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula accused the public of doing nothing to combat crime.
However, when the public did act they were threatened with arrest.
”Although the Criminal Procedure Act stipulates that a civilian arrest can only be made with category 1 crimes such as murder, robbery etc, an emergency situation exists in Limpopo.
”The police [do] not have the necessary ability to control the influx, and farmers therefore have no choice but to take action.” — Sapa