Govt seeking more time to implement ConCourt asylum ruling: Cachalia

Acting Police Minister Feroz Cachalia says government is considering approaching the Constitutional Court to ask for more time to implement it’s ruling on asylum seekers.

The court ruled in July that asylum seekers must not be prevented by administrative measures to have the merits of their applications be heard.

A decision by the Department of Home Affairs to give effect to that ruling, has led to protests and violence in various parts of the country.

Visiting violence affected parts of the Durban CBD , Cachalia said South Africans must remember that the Constitutional Court only interprets the constitution from a legal point of view.

He says government shares people’s concern of illegal immigration and wants to find a speedy way to deal with asylum applications so that those who try to abuse the system can be dealt with.

“I know that in the IMC there is a discussion.

We are waiting, when I last participated, for legal opinion about whether we can make an application to the Constitutional Court to adjust their order to take account of the administrative difficulties that have now been created but not anticipated by the court, to give us the time the time that we need to implement the court’s decision in a way that also doesn’t undermine our ability to deal with issues of illegal immigration.”