In response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on June 7 on the challenge of illegal immigration and xenophobia in the country, Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO Gavin Kelly stresses that this has been a challenge for many years, with little progress made in dealing with the matter, despite government’s stated plans to do so.
Kelly mentions various urgent communications addressed to the President in 2018 and 2022 by the RFA regarding the matter – and more specifically the issue of the employment of undocumented, or illegal, foreigners in the road freight and logistics industry.
In a media statement, he says that, in those communications, suggestions and proposals were made on how to address the matter. The RFA also offered to assist with addressing the situation.
“Nothing much came of that,” says Kelly.
He notes that a Presidential Task Team – involving the then Ministers of Police, Labour and Transport – had previously convened, which included representatives of the aforementioned departments, as well as the All Truck Driver Forum South Africa (ATDF-SA) – the prime voice for previously – and now unemployed – persons/citizens from the road freight and logistics sector, union representation and the registered employer organisations within the sector.
