Guesthouse Owner Granted R10 000 Bail for Harbouring Illegal Immigrants in Bloemfontein

By Brigadier Thandi Mbambo
Provincial Head: Corporate Communication and Liaison Component

A 56-year-old foreign national and guesthouse owner, Lyndon Adentuji Odili, has appeared before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court following his arrest for contravening the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act 13 of 2002).

Odili was granted R10 000 bail, and his case has been postponed to 31 July 2026 for further investigation.

​The arrest follows a swift intelligence driven response by law enforcement on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. SAPS members on an operation, received a tip-off regarding several undocumented individuals spotted at a guesthouse along Raymond Mhlaba Street in Bloemfontein.

The information suggested that the individuals were allegedly being hidden at the premises in reaction to the multidisciplinary operation targeting anti-foreigner sentiments during a planned national shutdown on the same day.

​Upon arrival at the establishment, police conducted a thorough search of the premises.

A total of eighteen (18) undocumented foreign nationals were found inside without the necessary legal authorization to reside in the Republic of South African.

​The owner of the guesthouse, Mr. Odili, was subsequently summoned to the scene.

Following a consultation, he was arrested under Section 40(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1977).

He faces eighteen (18) counts of aiding, abetting, assisting, enabling, or helping illegal foreigners in contravention of the Immigration Act.

​Separate dockets have also been opened against the 18 undocumented individuals for illegal entry and stay within the country.

​The Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia has commended the members for their swift reaction to the information, reiterating that business and property owners who deliberately bypass the country’s immigration laws to harbour undocumented individuals will face the full might of the law.