By Nkiruka Nnorom with agency report
The Nigerian husband of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Executive Mayor, Lulama Titi-Odili, has been arrested in Bloemfontein after police uncovered 28 suspected undocumented foreign nationals at a guesthouse linked to him.
The arrest was confirmed earlier today by Free State Premier, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, following a joint operation by the South African Police Service, SAPS, and immigration officials.
The operation comes amid a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and rising anti-foreigner sentiment.
Premier Letsoha-Mathae said law enforcement officers found between 28 and 29 foreign nationals allegedly concealed in the guesthouse for about seven days.
“It’s a guesthouse where we had about 28 to 29 people that were arrested because they were hiding in this place,” she told journalists.
She added that food was allegedly being delivered to the occupants while they remained indoors.
Authorities said the investigation has widened after officers reportedly recovered a Nigerian passport, a South African identity document, and the death certificate of a deceased South African woman from the suspect.
Letsoha-Mathae said officials were probing how the documents came into his possession and whether immigration or identity fraud offences were committed.
The Premier stressed that while the deputy mayor’s husband is in custody, investigators were still determining if the occupants lawfully booked the accommodation or were being deliberately concealed.
“Police and officials from the Department of Home Affairs are verifying the identities and immigration status of those arrested. Initial findings indicate that many could not produce valid immigration papers, with some believed to be Ethiopian and Nigerian nationals,” she said.
The arrest has triggered political tension as South Africa faces growing public pressure for stricter immigration enforcement. Anti-illegal immigration demonstrations were recently held in Bloemfontein and other cities.
Neither Deputy Executive Mayor Titi-Odili nor her office had issued a statement on the arrest as of Tuesday afternoon. Police have also not announced formal charges.
Investigations into the alleged harbouring of undocumented foreign nationals and the recovered official documents are ongoing.
Under South African law, the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
