ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STATEMENT BY THE OFFICE OF MAYOR XABA REGARDING SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTS ON THE MAYOR’S ENGAGEMENT WITH FOREIGN NATIONALS IN SHERWOOD
The Office of eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba has taken note of various video clips and commentary circulating on social media platforms concerning the Mayor during a recent public engagement in the Sherwood area.
The Office wishes to clarify the context of the engagement.
The Mayor was conducting a scheduled oversight visit to address the prolonged and unlawful occupation of City spaces by foreign nationals.
During the visit, the Mayor was informed of a group of individuals who had been camping outside the Department of Home Affairs office on Che Guevara Road.
It is important to note that this group was transported from the Diakonia Centre to the Home Affairs Migration Office on 21 May for verification of their documentation status.
Of the 457 individuals who were verified, only three were found to be without valid documentation.
This information was communicated publicly, and those with legal documentation were encouraged to return to their places of residence and reintegrate into their respective communities.
Despite this, the group continued to camp on the street until 12 June, when a delegation from the Inter-Ministerial Committee, led by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mamoloko Kubayi, engaged with them.
During that engagement, the group was presented with two options: to reintegrate into the community or to be accommodated at the Lindela Repatriation Centre.
The group declined both options.
The group is now demanding that the Municipality provide accommodation within the City.
By continuing to occupy public spaces unlawfully, they are in contravention of the City's by-laws.
Following the arrival of Malawian nationals in the Sherwood area, the group relocated from Che Guevara Road to Sherwood.
Upon learning of their presence in the area, the Mayor elected to engage directly with them in order to reiterate government's position that they should either reintegrate into their communities or be processed through the Lindela Repatriation Centre.
During this engagement, the Mayor was subjected to persistent and deliberate interruptions from certain individuals within the group.
These disruptions undermined the constructive dialogue that had been initiated and hindered efforts to communicate government's position effectively.
The Mayor’s firm response was necessitated by the flagrant disregard for both the rule of law and the basic decorum expected in any official civic interaction.
His remarks were directed specifically at those who chose to be disorderly and disrespectful, undermining the very process of finding a peaceful and lawful solution.
The Mayor wishes to state categorically that any disrespect for the law and acceptable forms of respectable conduct and behaviour – by both South African citizens and foreign nationals – will not be tolerated.
He reiterates the following:
• Decorum and Order: There is a standard of decorum that we must, as a people, maintain at all times. We must always be careful not to ignite chaos, especially as we are trying to address the current challenge of illegal foreign nationals in the City and the country.
• Enforcement: The City will be very firm in dealing with acts of civil disobedience, utilising all available law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with Municipal and national legislation.
• Appeal for Calm: At the same time, we wish to appeal to all stakeholders – including community leaders, business owners, and residents – to remain vigilant, sensitive, and to seek peaceful means of engagement towards a decisive resolution of the current challenge.
The Mayor emphasises that eThekwini is a law-abiding and welcoming Municipality, but it will not hesitate to act firmly against any individuals, regardless of nationality, who choose to disrupt public order or show contempt for the institutions and laws of the Republic of South Africa.
The Mayor remains committed to engaging all communities constructively and urges the public to refrain from sharing out-of-context clips that may inflame tensions.
All verified updates regarding the Sherwood situation will be communicated through official City channels.
ENDS
Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Directorate
