The Department of Home Affairs said it would challenge a court decision that allowed 22 Afghan nationals to seek asylum in South Africa.
This comes after the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday prepared to hear a landmark application in which Afghan nationals are trying to force the South African government to grant them asylum because the Taliban pose a threat to them.
Afghan nationals were initially denied access to South Africa, but NGO The Lifeline Foundation took the department of home affairs to court, requesting they be allowed to enter the country.
Watch the interview with Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi:
tourist visa
In a series of tweets, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s head of public diplomacy Clayson Monyela said there are other countries where Afghan asylum seekers can go.
“There are 22 Afghans who are rocking in Beitbridge on tourist visas issued by Zambia and asking to enter South Africa as asylum seekers. We refused and now an American-based NGO has taken the government to court. Of course Zambia and America are the options . Why South Africa? Our asylum system is being blamed!”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs just gave us more details. These 22 Afghans were in Zimbabwe for a month as tourists. They tried to enter South Africa as asylum seekers. We refused and they went to Zambia which also issued tourist visas. The NGO wants the court to force let us accept him. No!” Monyela tweeted.
Also read: We will not apologize for managing our borders, other countries are doing it too, says Motsoaledi
Undermining the sovereignty of SA
Speaking to eNCA, Motsoaledi claimed the NGO was behind what he called “attempts to undermine and attack South African sovereignty”.
“It’s hard to know the motive, but what I can say is that I think we were destroyed.
“There is a belief that everything in South Africa is earned, you can come in and do whatever you want at any time. The constitution and legal system of the country will allow you to do that,” said Motsoaledi.
The interior minister said allowing Afghan nationals to enter the country could pose a risk, as they left Afghanistan because of the conflict with the Taliban.
“In court, the lawyers produced a letter written in Arabic and said that it was a death warrant or an arrest warrant and that it came from the Taliban. It shows these people in trouble.
“In court, they told the judge that these people are in Pakistan and the Taliban went to Pakistan to attack them, so they have to go. My question is, what does that mean for them to come to South Africa and when the Taliban attack, they have to attack South Africa,” said Motsoaledi.
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