This is why the forum is requesting the government to grant amnesty to those who were already living in the country. "So that instead of continuing to live on the sidelines of the law‚ in which they continue to access social services through illegal means‚ they can be allowed to contribute to the development of this country‚" said Gbaffou.

The forum acknowledged the country’s efforts to improve immigrants’ lives by granting both Zimbabwean and Lesotho nationals special permits, but thought the gesture could be extended to immigrants from other Southern African Development Community countries.
"Why are we making it so difficult? Why don’t we make sure that everyone has access to basic services and they are accounted for? People are forced to sleep with money under their mattress because they don’t have documents. Banks don’t do business with them, do you must sleep with your millions‚" Gbaffou said.
Among those who made presentations at the hearing was Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh from the regional non-governmental organisation‚ the Southern African Litigation Centre.
Ramjathan-Keogh said the "scapegoating" of immigrants was responsible for the rise in poverty‚ violence and crime‚ and was one of the causes of ongoing stigmatisation and discrimination of immigrants. "Between 2000 and March 2008‚ at least 67 people died in what were identified as xenophobic attacks in SA‚" she said.
In her presentation‚ Ramjathan-Keogh recommended that, to combat hate crimes‚ the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development develop hate crimes legislation and support measures to institute it.

Source: Business Live