Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the department would be challenging the court's decision directing SA to allow Afghanistan asylum seekers in the country. Motsoaledi says allowing the refugees will be a security risk.

TAKING SA TO COURT

An American NGO called The Lifeline Foundation has taken the South African government to court to force the country to take in the Afghanistan refugees. Minister of Home Affairs Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi said the NGO was trying to undermine the country's authority after it initially denied the refugees entry into Mzansi.  

CAN'T CHALLENGE TALIBAN 

Motsoaledi said if South Africa had the military power to fight the Islamic fundamentalist group Taliban they would have done so. Thousands of people are scrambling to flee Afghanistan after thet took control of the country

He added that it was clear that America was well equipped to take them head-on like they did before. "They are the ones who went to Afghanistan to take over from the Taliban, not us, because you see, we don't have any military power," Motsoaledi said on eNCA. He said if people from Afghanistan were fleeing the Taliban and coming here, chances are they will be followed to this country and poses a deadly risk to our citizens. 

WE'LL MEET IN COURT

Motsoaledi explained that at first, only twenty-two Afghans were initially denied access into the country after they requested to be granted asylum. "The NGO's lawyers took South Africa's home affairs department to court, asking for the Afghans to be allowed entry to the country, but we will be challenging the court's decision as we don't want them to have access into the country. 

NOT A VETTING BASE

The Minister of International relations Naledi Pandor said, "We received a rather odd set of letters from South African-based lawyers, asking that we receive two airplane loads of persons who had sought refuge in Pakistan, but would be transported to South Africa for United States authorities to vet them in South Africa, because some of them would be given the special immigration permit by the United States. Well firstly, we're not a vetting base, there is no international law requirement that they must proceed to a third country," Pandor added.