South Africans complain about foreigners coming to our country because we think that our jobs are at stake.

South Africans complain about foreigners coming to our country because we think that our jobs are at stake.

But we must not paint all foreigners with the same brush because we need some of their skills. The problem is the ones who come here illegally. However, citizens are to blame for the flood of illegal immigrants.

Citizens abuse illegal immigrants by employing their labour for a pittance. We even rent out our backrooms to them. If we want to stop people coming into our country illegally, then we must stop using their skills and their labour. It does not help to complain about illegal immigrants while you know that your gardener is here illegally. This might sound harsh because some of those people had fled unfavourable situations, even wars in their own countries, but they must follow legal procedures when they come to our country.

Police sometimes raid hostels and informal settlements, but some illegal immigrants live in the suburbs. The reason most crime is committed by illegal immigrants is because locals employ them.

They come to South Africa desperate for an income and are vulnerable to greedy locals who are too lazy to work for what they want. We citizens also buy stolen goods from illegal immigrants. We'll never win the war against illegal immigrants because we use their cheap services.

Moses Mothogoane, Jane Furse