Law enforcement agents, that include the Bloemfontein police, have arrested scores of suspected illegal foreign nationals living at the South Park landfill site during a raid conducted this morning.
Lt Col. Thabo Covane, spokesperson for the police, said the raid was pursuant to the Operation Phethisa Molao, which loosely translated means “execute law”, that was launched last month of August. He said the operation was jointly conducted by different spheres that include Home Affairs and Mangaung Metro law enforcement.
Covane said the police will analyse all those arrested as part of a crime analysis.
“This process will take days given the large numbers of people arrested during the raid,” he said.
According to Covane, the raid is an ongoing multi-disciplinary, anti-crime initiative spearheaded by the District Commissioner of Mangaung Metro, Maj Gen. Arthur Peter Adams.
Lesotho nationals are believed to be in the majority among culprits arrested during the raid.
The landfill site, which is bordered by a fence with the cemetery, has become home to several waste pickers who survive by selling recyclable material they collect. This includes both South African and foreign nationals who stay there with their families. These waste pickers have erected makeshift dwellings on the landfill.
