Hundreds of undocumented foreign nationals, arrested during a police raid in the Johannesburg CBD, last week, are expected to appear in court on Monday.
7 police officers said to have been involved in re-selling the fake goods are also expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
At least 600 people were handcuffed when police swooped in shops belonging to foreign nationals to seize fake goods. They were kept at Johannesburg Central police station for verification.
Thousands of counterfeit goods were seized in the massive raid.
659 foreign traders were detained at the Johannesburg central prison, 117 of them were later released after providing relevant documentation.
The Lawyers for Human Rights will represent the foreign traders. They say they believe that police used fraudulent processes to arrest their clients.
On Sunday, Police Minister, Bheki Cele, has denied suggestions that police raids are targeting foreign nationals, saying their aim is to deal with crime in the country.
Cele addressed the media in Pretoria, “I want to tell you, we are not looking at nationalities we are looking at crime. It doesn’t matter your nationality, we arrest a murderer, we arrest a thief.”
‘Illegal foreigners sent back home’
City of Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba has reiterated his call for illegal foreigners in South Africa to be sent back home. He says those who come to South Africa must respect the country’s laws.
“I think our Constitution is very clear on that people who come to South Africa must come here legally and when they are here they must respect our laws whether you’re a South African on not for some reason if you don’t have documentations running away from whatever war. Home Affairs is there to give you those who qualify papers but those who do not the constitution is very clear that those people must be sent back to the own country that’s what I’m calling on Home Affairs to do,” says Mashaba.
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