Schreiber said he would reach out to the departments, including the South African Police Service (Saps), for joint operations. 

Leon Schreiber, minister of Home Affairs, during the swearing-in ceremony of the new national executive members at Cape Town International Convention Centre on 3 July, 2024 in Cape Town. Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach

Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says in the coming year, the department will intensify inspections at restaurants, spaza shops, farms and mines by over 50% to take action, including deportations, against people who are illegally employed.

The initiative was started under his predecessor, Aaron Motsoaledi, who earlier this year called for harsher sanctions against business owners who knowingly employ undocumented foreigners.

Motsoaledi was speaking at a stakeholder engagement and service delivery monitoring session in Gqeberha in February.

“Anyone who knowingly employs an illegal foreigner or a foreigner in violation of this act shall be guilty of an offence and liable, upon conviction, to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding one year. Additionally, a second conviction of such an offence shall be punishable by imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine,” said Motsoaledi.

“A third subsequent conviction of such an offence shall result in imprisonment not exceeding five years without the option of a fine.”

At the time, Motsoaledi also confirmed that the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and the Department of Small Business Development were collaborating to tighten laws to prevent undocumented foreigners from operating businesses in the country.

During the department’s budget speech on Monday, Schreiber said he would reach out to the departments for joint operations. 

Home Affairs on immigration

Schreiber further said the department was working on the provision of smart ID cards to naturalised citizens.

He said 280 cards have been issued and another 697 were in progress.

“Once the system has been adjusted to verify compliant applications, all naturalized citizens will be able to visit any Home Affairs office equipped with live-capture facilities to apply for their smart ID cards,” he said. 

Schreiber also announced that Home Affairs would urgently reactivate the Immigration Advisory Board. It will provide him with “evidence-based advice” on tackling matters, such as the process of consultation on the future of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP).

Last month, the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruled that Motsoaledi unlawfully terminated the ZEPs.

The court found that Motsoaledi had failed to consult with ZEP holders.

BMA deportations

Also last month, the Border Management Authority (BMA) deployed an additional 400 junior border guards, after an eight-month training programme. 

The majority of the guards are deployed at Beitbridge to Zimbabwe, Lebombo and Kosi Bay to Mozambique and Maseru and Ficksburg to Lesotho.

Their tasks include addressing the scourge of illegal entry, the smuggling of illicit cigarettes, stolen high-value vehicles and stock theft. 

To date, the BMA’s guards have intercepted and deported over 296,000 individuals who had attempted to enter the country illegally.

Over 303 vehicles were intercepted when criminals attempted to illegally take them out of South Africa.

“South Africa needs to do much more to combat illegal immigration. We must do so both because it is central to our national security. But also out of our commitment to economic growth,” said Schreiber. 

“The reality is that no one will want to visit or invest if we allow our country to lose control over its borders and internal security. This problem needs to be tackled in a sustained, integrated and collaborative way,” he said.