Conflicting reports about the US refugee centre raid in Johannesburg suggest miscommunication, legal issues, and potential propaganda at play.

When it comes to deciding which version of reality to accept in connection with the supposed “raid” on an American “refugee” processing centre in Johannesburg, we would have to say – at the risk of further alienating the haters out there – our government’s story has more logic than the other claim.

Firstly, what purpose would it serve to further antagonise the already angry administration in the White House by “busting” a place where the departure of people who hate this country is being facilitated?

However, would it make sense to scrutinise, and then remove, eight Kenyan nationals who were found at the centre, because they were working, but without the proper visas?

Did the US government fire the first shot in this war of words perhaps exactly because it realised that it was contravening the laws of this country in employing the Kenyans?

And using them, knowing they were only in South Africa as tourists?

Those speculations lead only to more questions. Like: why was it necessary to use nationals from another African country to carry out what should have been a routine, tick-box bureaucratic procedure?

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If it was because they didn’t trust South Africans, why did they not do it with their consular officials alone?

Something does not sound right at all.

Should Pretoria be attacked because it was, seemingly, trying to enforce the very laws that many of the would-be refugees and their sympathisers say should be enforced?

Predictably, the “we are being oppressed” lobby – including AfriForum and its fellow travellers – are claiming people were intimidated and US officials were detained… allegations denied by home affairs.

Which brings us back to the main question: what purpose would this exercise serve? The answer lies in who thought they could weaponise it for propaganda purposes.