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The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government has warned landlords against renting properties to undocumented immigrants, saying those who flout immigration laws could face arrest as South Africa intensifies its crackdown on illegal migration.
Speaking at a community security meeting in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli urged property owners to verify the immigration status of prospective tenants before offering them accommodation.
According to a report by Eye Witness News, the meeting brought together residents and traditional leaders to discuss growing security concerns and strategies to combat crime in the province.
Ntuli warned that landlords who knowingly accommodate undocumented immigrants risk being prosecuted alongside their tenants.
“Everyone who owns cottages, your tenants must first produce IDs before you grant them permission to live there. Community members, may you please report to the police if there are landlords harbouring illegal foreigners so that police can arrest both that person and the landlord,” he said.
The warning followed complaints from traditional leaders, who alleged that some rental properties had become safe havens for criminal suspects who disappear after carrying out offences.
Ntuli said stronger community collaboration and stricter compliance with immigration laws were essential to addressing insecurity, arguing that undocumented migrants were exploiting gaps in the system to evade law enforcement.
The latest directive follows renewed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa, where the March and March movement has intensified its campaign for the removal of undocumented immigrants.
The growing tensions have also prompted the Nigerian Government to repatriate citizens who opted to return home from South Africa.
