Kunene says illegal immigrants are ‘slaves’ on SA farms

Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene has accused farmers in the Western Cape of recruiting illegal immigrants from Lesotho to come work on their farms.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Kunene said he had met with some of the illegal immigrants from Lesotho and they told him how they got into South Africa.

“They said in Lesotho they were recruited for jobs in South Africa they then crossed a river, a bus was waiting for them in South Africa they got on the bus it took them to the farms,” said Kunene.

Businesses owners blamed for employing illegal immigrants

He blamed business owners who were running syndicates and employing illegal immigrants.

“This is a syndicate of white business people who seek to exclude South Africans from employment because South Africans want salaries because South Africans have rights,” said Kunene.

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‘We are also liberating them from slavery’

According to Kunene, the illegal immigrants were treated as slaves on the farms and in some factories.

“We see it happening in the warehouses in Tshwane, Kempton, Johannesburg where South Africans are not employed, illegal immigrants are employed and they are given slave salaries and treated like slaves,” he said.

Despite being in a government of national unity (GNU), Kunene insisted that the PA’s position was to drive out all illegal immigrants from the country.

“When we say they must go back to their countries, we are also liberating them from slavery,” he said.

Kunene said he had no faith in the current Home Affairs minister, Leon Schrieber, to protect the borders from illegal immigrants.

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“We did not trust anyone to protect our borders except ourselves. Unfortunately, the president decided to give it to the DA (Democratic Alliance), but we are happy where we are,” he said.

Kunene accused the DA of using the Home Affairs portfolio to gain support for the next elections.

“I think it’s a strategy of the party that Minister belongs; to try and gain more votes because when you legalise, they might even give them IDs, South African IDs, and make them citizens,” added Kunene.