AN Mpumalanga MEC has angrily threatened to deport illegal immigrants who participated in a mass protest this week, saying "bazonya", the SiSwati word meaning "they will sh*t themselves".
Provincial community safety, security and liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe was addressing protesting residents of Khutsong near Matsulu outside Mbombela on Thursday evening.
“All those who don’t have identity documents bazonya. We will meet your needs as government, but first we want to evict all the illegal immigrants. I will bring police officials and all those without IDs will be deployed back to their countries,” he said.
Shongwe visited the area to quell the situation after residents from three villages around Matsulu embarked on a protest late on Freedom Day.
The protesters demanded electricity, stating that they had witnessed the deaths of children and their livestock because of illegally connected electrical wires.
Earlier protesters refused to listen to Mbombela mayor Sibusiso Mathonsi, demanding to meet premier David Mabuza and President Jacob Zuma.
Shongwe was accompanied to the area by heavily armed police officers and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mondli Zuma.
He was well received after promising to return with answers within seven working days.
While he was there, four community members were elected to represent the residents in a multi-departmental meeting next week.
The community took Shongwe on a night tour around the Khutsong area to show him how dangerous the electricity cables are.
Community member Zane Mashego said they would hold Shongwe accountable for his promises to bring them electricity.
“We are happy that Shongwe came to see for himself what we experience. Now we will hold him accountable,” Mashego said.
