The Patriotic Alliance (PA) insisted that children of immigrants, who were born and have lived in South Africa since birth, must be sent back to their countries of origin.
The lively crowd at the IOL elections discussion in Sandton reacted in support, and some in opposition, when the outspoken Kenny Kunene, who is PA deputy president and Gauteng premier candidate, addressed the issue of immigration.
“The problem of migrants … illegal migration is not perceived but it is real. It is practical. It is there. The child that is born in South Africa of migrants must go back home. You have heavily pregnant women getting on buses at Beitbridge (or) in Lesotho going to Park Station, getting to Rahima Moosa hospital, paying nurses a R1,000 so that they can get on a bed,” he said.
“South African pregnant women lie on the floor waiting to be attended. The child is born in South Africa. They get onto the bus, take the child to Zimbabwe, or Mozambique or Lesotho. The fact that the child is now 17, it does not matter, he or she is not a South Africa. They must all go back home with the illegal parents,” he said.
Kunene was reacting to a question posed by community activist Ngqabutho Mabhena who queried the party’s stance on children who were born to migrants but have attained age 17, living in South Africa.
RISE Mzansi's Gauteng premier candidate, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa said government should take the blame for the chaos in migration into South Africa.
“We have people who buy IDs at Home Affairs, we have all kinds on issues that are a function of a government that cannot enforce its laws. We have a government which is unable to enforce the existing laws, that is why we have a perceived migration challenge right now,” she said.
“The government itself cannot tell you how many illegal migrants are here and what are they doing etc. In my opinion, a child born in this country should be able to be a citizen or resident of this country. They should be able to apply legally and receive legal permits. If that does not happen, they must go through the legal channels.”
The IOL Elections Panel Discussion was held at the Sandton Radisson Blu hotel in Johannesburg on Friday.
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