On average, they employed four South Africans in their businesses. The research is unlikely to temper xenophobia towards African immigrants which again peaked last weekend as the South African football team prepared for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Congo. This week the ANC's deputy minister of Home Affairs, Lindiwe Sisulu, was reported saying the government had a responsibility to protect the jobs of South African hawkers. Recently, the Centre for Development Enterprise called on government to relax its immigration laws for both skilled and unskilled people from SADC countries. We think this builds on international experience and the reality of South Africa's economic history.
Great confusion exists about just how many illegal immigrants there are in South Africa.
The methodology of the survey has been slammed by migrancy experts who point out that, according to another HSRC survey nine months later, there were only 500,000 illegal immigrants resident. The SA National Defence Force estimates one illegal immigrant crosses the border every 10 minutes - which adds up to 50,000 a year. In Alexandra township, north of Johannesburg, gangs of youth routinely raid the 'Maputo' squatter camp where Mozambicans live, stealing goods which they then sell elsewhere in the township. Camp residents claim there is at least one fatality in the camp each week. They also accuse the local police of extorting money from them by tearing up their permits and then threatening to arrest them.