The wild part is that landlords, not border fences, became the main character in Limpopo’s latest immigration crackdown. In Polokwane, Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba blamed residents who lease backyard spaces to undocumented migrants, arguing that those deals can give wanted suspects somewhere to disappear.
Operation Shanela II then went full server sweep. Multiple agencies ran 478 searches across Limpopo and made 339 arrests, with officers finding a murder suspect inside a rented backyard room. Teams also shut noncompliant spaza shops and seized stacks of illicit cigarettes.
Ramathuba wants residents to check tenants’ legal status, flagging suspicious behavior, and leaving enforcement to authorized officials. More surprise operations are planned for towns and rural communities, where traditional leaders may help coordinate local cooperation.
Limpopo’s borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique keep migration pressures high, while clinics, classrooms, housing access, jobs, and neighborhood trust remain flashpoints. Human-rights voices have warned against treating every undocumented migrant like a criminal, and Ramathuba says lawful foreign residents are not the target.
Operation Shanela II then went full server sweep. Multiple agencies ran 478 searches across Limpopo and made 339 arrests, with officers finding a murder suspect inside a rented backyard room. Teams also shut noncompliant spaza shops and seized stacks of illicit cigarettes.
Ramathuba wants residents to check tenants’ legal status, flagging suspicious behavior, and leaving enforcement to authorized officials. More surprise operations are planned for towns and rural communities, where traditional leaders may help coordinate local cooperation.
Limpopo’s borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique keep migration pressures high, while clinics, classrooms, housing access, jobs, and neighborhood trust remain flashpoints. Human-rights voices have warned against treating every undocumented migrant like a criminal, and Ramathuba says lawful foreign residents are not the target.
