Cape Town – Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has warned residents against harbouring undocumented foreign nationals, saying South Africans who provide accommodation to people without legal documentation will be held accountable.
Ramathuba made the remarks on Friday during a media briefing in Polokwane following a law enforcement operation targeting undocumented immigrants. She was joined by Limpopo acting provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Scheepers, officials from the Department of Home Affairs and representatives from the Department of Health.
Addressing residents, Ramathuba said it was local communities that enabled undocumented foreign nationals to remain in the country by renting out backyard rooms and other accommodation.
βYou will be held accountable for harbouring people who do not have documents,β she said, adding that those who shelter undocumented foreign nationals could be harbouring individuals linked to criminal offences.
She also warned employers against hiring undocumented foreign nationals, saying those found to be employing people without the necessary documentation could face legal consequences.
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Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba is leading a multi-agency law enforcement operation in Greenside, Seshego, on Friday morning, targeting⦠pic.twitter.com/Xa5MmC6pCr
β Limpopo Chronicle (@LimChronicle) July 17, 2026
Ramathuba said South Africa could not allow people to remain in the country without complying with immigration laws.
Speaking in a previous interview with SABC News, the premier reiterated her support for enforcing immigration laws but cautioned against targeting people based on their skin colour or the language they speak.
βI say everyone who is not documented cannot be allowed to be in South Africa. All undocumented immigrants β definitely we’re supporting fully that everyone who is in the country, be it in Limpopo or any other province, has got to follow the laws of that country and has got to be documented,β she said.
However, Ramathuba said her office had received reports that some people, particularly Limpopo residents, were being targeted during anti-illegal immigration protests because of their complexion or language.
WATCH | Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has raised concerns that some marchers protesting against undocumented migrants are targeting people based on their skin colour and language. She says such conduct will not be tolerated in Limpopo. pic.twitter.com/dM7cGEtNlS
β SABC News (@SABCNews) July 13, 2026
βWe’re not going to tolerate that in Limpopo. You can’t be moving from one household to another, removing people based on their skin complexion or on the language that they speak,β she said.
She added that while government continued to strengthen border management and conduct enforcement operations, immigration laws must be enforced without discrimination.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
