PRETORIA - Government said growing concern over increasingly violent marches spreading across the country prompted intervention.
This follows a meeting between anti-immigrant groups Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Ministers at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Monday.
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According to Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, the protests were initially localised but as time went on, they started spreading.
“From a national JCPS, we don't react to marches that are localized or within a province. When it's a province, it's the provincial job that deals with it, together with the teams. But what brought us one was that the marches were now starting to be national and they are starting to be violent,” she said.
The meeting was in response to the broader challenge of illegal immigration and general social cohesion issues.
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The ministers met to finalise a framework on the national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Kubayi announced that Deputy Minister of Police Polly Boshielo and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza will lead a team of deputy ministers in ensuring compliance with laws amid growing anti-immigrant protests.