Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has recently withdrawn his contentious proposal suggesting the hiring of legally documented foreign nationals for the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) as a measure to fight crime.
The mayor’s comments, made over the weekend, indicated that bringing in qualified and properly documented foreign nationals could help bridge language barriers when foreign nationals are involved in criminal activities.
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Morero’s proposal was met with significant backlash. The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng, along with coalition partners such as ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), strongly opposed the idea.
Critics argued that the proposal should prioritize the employment of South Africans who are in need of jobs, rather than hiring foreigners to help combat crime. Additionally, they highlighted concerns over the involvement of illegal foreigners in serious criminal activities like building hijacking and drug trafficking in the city.
In response to the widespread criticism, the ANC in Johannesburg held a briefing on Monday to address the issue and conduct damage control. Leading the briefing, Mayor Morero offered an apology and officially withdrew his proposal.
He emphasized that his comments were intended to spark debate during a lekgotla and not to be implemented as policy. “I have concluded that my suggestion was not consistent with the policies of the ANC and government,” he stated.
“I therefore unconditionally withdraw my proposal and apologize for the anxiety it might have caused to the residents of Johannesburg and the people of South Africa as a whole.”
Despite the withdrawal, Morero expressed gratitude for the public’s engaged and robust discussion on the matter. “The participation of our people in this discourse reaffirms our belief that we have a vibrant and conscious citizenry upon which a prosperous society can and will be built,” he concluded.
