SAPS Defends Police Actions During Eviction of 200+ Undocumented Immigrants in Limpopo
- South African Police Service's Captain Vuledzani Dathi emphasizes prioritizing human life over belongings during immigration operations
- Two hundred undocumented immigrants were rounded up and processed in Limpopo province
- The community-led campaign aims to prevent violence against foreign-owned shops
Source: Getty Images
VHEMBE, KWAZULU-NATAL— The Vhembe police spokesperson, Captain Vuledzani Dathi, said the South African Police Service would prioritise human life over the replacement of personal belongings during local operations. He spoke after residents and police officers rounded up and evicted approximately two hundred undocumented immigrants within the Limpopo province on Sunday.
According to GroundUp, Dathi spoke following a community-led immigration campaign on five July 2026 in Vleifontein, Maila and Kanana villages, where Home Affairs officials processed displaced individuals at the Makhado Showgrounds before moving them to Musina. Dathi defended police involvement and stated that maintaining public order and ensuring safety remain the primary responsibility of law enforcement officers who are legally authorised to request citizenship documentation.
Captain Vuledzani Dathi defends police actions
Dathi said that working directly with local communities remains key to preventing crime throughout the region. He said that specific allegations regarding immigrants being denied the opportunity to collect their belongings were not yet at their official disposal. The police spokesperson said that personal belongings can always be replaced, but human life cannot.
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Dathi said that the police remain committed to securing everyone at temporary repatriation centres near the Beitbridge border and added that while some affected individuals raised concerns over lost clothes and short deadlines during the process, the force remains resolute in prioritising public safety. He concluded that the campaign organised by resident Denzel Ncube aimed to prevent attacks on foreign-owned shops within these local rural target areas.
South Africans beg shop owner
In a related article, Briefly News reported about the urgent plea from residents in a South African township for a foreign tuckshop owner to reopen his business following the enforcement of a deadline that has forced many undocumented immigrants to close their shops. The closure has left local communities vulnerable, highlighting their dependence on these small businesses for access to daily essential goods amid rising tensions and protests against foreigners.
Source: Briefly News
