The Minister of Provincial and Local Government, Sicelo Shiceka, lashed out at corrupt government officials who demand bribes from poor foreign nationals in order to speed up their asylum applications at the Musina Show Grounds.

One of the angry asylum seekers told the minister: “I have been here since December, but I have not been assisted because I don’t have the R200 to bribe the officials. Those who have money spend less time and they get their papers as soon as they pay the officials. Please minister, do something to assist us because we are being exploited.”

The minister assured the asylum seekers that he would not leave any stone unturned in his fight against corruption. “I will certainly take this up with the relevant of-fices. The government is paying those officials on a monthly basis and it is not acceptable for them to steal from the poor.”

Accompanied by Dudu Maseko, the President of the Institute for Local Government Management of South Africa, Shiceka visited Musina on Saturday to see how he can assist the small border town after it has been burdened with the influx of migrants and asylum seekers from African states, especially those from Zimbabwe. The Musina Home Affairs reception office was overwhelmed with the number of asylum seekers because of the political and socio-economic situation in Zimbabwe. The Musina Local Municipality offered the utilisation of the local show grounds as temporary accommodation. Since August last year, the number of asylum seekers continues to in-crease and thousands of them sleep at the show grounds, with little regard for privacy.

Muthohotho Sigidi, the chairperson of the Vhembe District Joint Operational Committee, which deals with the influx of foreign nationals and the cholera situation, highlighted some of the challenges when briefing the minister about the state of affairs in Musina. The challenges include provision of alternative accommodation for asylum seekers, provision of water and sanitation, unhygienic environmental conditions, provision of food and shelter, unaccompanied minors and crime.

Shiceka said it was clear that the situation in Musina needed urgent intervention. “There is a need to establish a task team composed of representatives from all departments in local, provincial and national departments, so that we all speak in one voice. I will take the lead to make sure that the chal-lenges in Musina are taken up with the relevant authorities. Musina is a valuable town and we must take it to another level.”

Since the outbreak of cholera and the influx of foreign nationals, Musina has hosted a number of dignitaries. These include Premier Sello Moloto; the MEC for Health and Social Development, Seaparo Sekwati; the MEC for Local Government and Housing, Maite Nkoana Mashabane; the Minis-ter of Health, Barbara Hogan; the Minister of Home Affairs, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqukula; the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Lindiwe Hendricks; the Deputy-Minister of Sport and Recreation, Gert Oosthuizen; the Deputy-Minister of Defence, Fezile Bhengu; the chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo, Cassel Mathale; the president of the ANC, Jacob Zuma, and the president of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema.