Defence Minister Thandi Modise says most criminal syndicates in the country are not operated by South Africans. She says government sometimes does not have the courage to call out foreign nationals who engage in criminal activities, for fear of being labelled xenophobic.
Last Monday, a 25-member gang including Zimbabwean and Botswana nationals engaged in a shoot-out with police in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg.
They were accosted while allegedly planning to carry out a cash-in-transit robbery in Johannesburg. Eight of the suspects were killed and 12 others have since been arrested.
CIT Heist I Cele, Mawela brief the media from scene in Rosettenvillle:
Modise says all foreign nationals must respect the laws of the country. She was part of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster ministers who were briefing the media in Pretoria.
“Sometimes we are too shy to say to people who cross the borders legally and illegally, who reside amongst us who do not respect our laws, traditions, and cultures that we are fed up. That does not turn us into people who are xenophobic. The truth of the matter is that most of the syndicates are not run by South Africans and we are too ashamed to say that Ntate Cele,” says Modise.
Defense Minister Thandi Modise says most crime syndicates in South Africa are not run by South Africans and government is often too shy to call the foreigners out when they fail to respect South African laws, out of fear of being called xenophobic. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/LWY4NCMz3b
— Ofentse Setimo?? (@Stimoroller) February 27, 2022
Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster briefing post-SONA 2022:
