The demonstrations are being driven by anti-immigration and civil society groups that have called on undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by the end of the month. They warned failure to meet the deadline could result in mass protests and a national shutdown campaign.

The funding was announced by provincial commissioner Lt. Gen. Thabang Lesia during a media briefing at the OR Tambo Building in Bloemfontein on Monday. The allocation would enable police to intensify operations across the province while maintaining normal day-to-day policing responsibilities.

“The operation comes with a cost, including fleet that will be running over and above day to day services,” he said. The budget will cover fuel costs, overtime payments, telecommunications and other operational expenses needed to ensure a strong law enforcement presence throughout the province.

“National commissioner has given us this budget to ensure that we are all over and ensure the authority of the state is stamped in the province,” he said. 

Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae said government had already intensified efforts to address illegal immigration through Operation Shanela, which has been conducted jointly by police and other law enforcement agencies.

Another operation was carried out in the Bloemfontein CBD on Monday morning, resulting in several arrests, including that of a Chinese national who allegedly failed to produce valid documentation.

‘Visitor visas have conditions’

The premier raised concerns about what she described as an increase in fraudulent marriages between South African citizens and foreign nationals seeking to regularise their immigration status.

“Visitor visas have conditions. When you read those conditions they are about three; the first one says you will have to reside with someone who is a South African, the second one has to do with work and the other one has to do with registering a company,” she said.

“We went through Central Park this morning and there were some shop owners to our surprise, remember the ID number of the person you supposed to reside with is from that visa.

“Some don’t know each other, some are saying its their wife but when you call the wife, the other one is in East London, the other one is in Cape Town, but you can see there is something wrong.”

Authorities suspect a number of marriages involving South Africans and foreign nationals may have been entered into fraudulently and warned communities against participating in such arrangements, Letsoha-Mathae said.

Fraudulent marriages

Those arrested remain in custody while the department of home affairs investigate the legitimacy of the marriages, she said. Entering into fraudulent marriages for immigration purposes amounts to betraying the country.

They had found voice notes on some suspects’ mobile phones in which South African women were allegedly reminding their foreign spouses to pay them for the marriages.

Despite the heightened security operation, Letsoha-Mathae acknowledged the planned demonstrations reflect genuine frustrations among communities over service delivery failures, unemployment and the rising cost of living.

But these concerns must be expressed through lawful and peaceful means. She encouraged businesses across the province to continue operating as normal, assuring owners that law enforcement agencies had been deployed to protect businesses, public infrastructure and residents throughout the planned protest period.

Provincial authorities have reiterated that while the constitutional right to peaceful protest will be respected, any acts of intimidation, violence, looting or criminality will be met with decisive law enforcement action.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi sm

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