The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has called on the newly appointed Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, to immediately revoke the recently announced temporary visa concession.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ATM said: “this action should be taken pending a thorough investigation to ensure the accountability of every immigrant in the country. The urgency of this call is heightened by the recent arrest of 95 Libyan Nationals in Mpumalanga, who deceitfully obtained visas by misrepresenting themselves and their intentions.”
Just a day after being sworn in, earlier in July, the new Minister of Home Affairs extended the temporary concession for foreign nationals who are currently awaiting the outcome of visa, waiver and appeal applications.
Schreiber explained that the visa extension safeguards applicants from suffering adverse consequences or being erroneously declared undesirable while they await the outcome of applications submitted to the Home Affairs department.
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However, the ATM contends that the Minister’s decision to extend visas without proper scrutiny poses a significant security risk to the country.
“It is deeply concerning that the Libyan Nationals were vetted by the Department and granted access to the country, highlighting the need for more stringent restrictions and scrutiny of visa applicants. Additionally, it is imperative that their activities within the country are continuously monitored.”
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, assured the nation that law enforcement officers will carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.
“The revelation of alleged military training conducted by the Libyan Nationals on South African shores, without the knowledge of the South African government, is not only an embarrassment in terms of national security but also poses a grave risk to the South African community.
“ATM calls for further investigations to identify and dismantle any similar operations in the country. There are genuine concerns that there might be more foreign military training facilities present in South Africa,” it said.
In addition, the party proposes a province-by-province joint operation to identify foreign individuals residing in the country and eliminate the risk they may pose to South African citizens.
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