The South Africa government has warned that landlords who rent their properties to undocumented foreign nationals could face arrest.
According to Eye Witness News, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli issued the warning during a crime-fighting community imbizo held in Mzingazi in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday. Thousands of residents attended the gathering to discuss measures aimed at tackling crime in the area.
The premier’s remarks followed concerns raised by traditional leaders, who claimed that rented cottages had become safe havens for criminals who often evade detection after committing offences.
Ntuli said landlords must take greater responsibility for knowing who occupies their properties and insisted that prospective tenants should provide identification documents before being allowed to rent accommodation.
“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 premier stressed that community cooperation remains vital in the fight against crime, adding that stricter enforcement of immigration laws at household level would help close loopholes exploited by criminal elements.
