African National Congress (ANC) spokesperson Pule Mabe wants police to act “with speed to address the act of sexual violence and undocumented illegal immigrants” before communities react.

He was speaking during an ANC demonstration at Hammanskraal police station on Thursday, where the Gauteng branch of the party marched against undocumented illegal immigrants and gender-based violence.

“As ANC, we are not just policy makers but also members of the society and, therefore, it cannot be that when young women are being raped and when undocumented illegal immigrants are roaming the streets that we will play the policy makers card. We have to be seen exerting pressure to our own government to act with the necessary speed to implement those policies that will make it impossible and difficult for people to be in the country illegally,” Mabe said.

Last weekend, the governing party held a policy conference and the matters of violent crimes, peace and stability, as well as migration and immigration were part of the discussions.

Mabe called for government to do more to protect women and children, adding that illegal immigrants and miners should hand themselves over to the police as affected communities was starting to “rage”.

“Police need to act swiftly because members of the community are willing to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to uproot the illegal immigrants within their communities. If the police will not act speedily, we are afraid and worried that communities will take the law into their own hands,” said the ANC spokesperson.