E/CN.4/1999/15/Add.1 page 20 (a) The majority have set up on their own account (trade, crafts) and are therefore not taking work from unemployed South Africans (estimated at 33 % of the active population), a situation only emphasized by the fact that they are concentrated in the unofficial sector of the economy. On the other hand, they are sometimes instrumental in job creation and the transmission of qualifications; (b) Also, the fact that they are active in the official economy (agriculture, the construction industry) and work for low wages is less their fault than their employers’, who regard them as easily exploitable 13/. Paradoxically, it is their status as illegal persons which provides employers with the opportunity to bypass the labour laws; (c) They rarely make use of social services (health and education) for fear of being discovered and repatriated. 73. The widespread belief that illegal persons merely consume South Africa’s socio-economic resources without producing any does not always stand up (they consume goods on which they pay VAT); it is their illegal status which prevents them from paying full contributions for public services (through income tax). 74. With regard to the supposedly high level of criminality among illegal persons, this is not reliable, as the fact that some clandestine foreigners have been arrested for criminal acts does not mean that all illegal persons are criminals. Consequently, the argument often put forward by the police that the measures to combat criminality should involve a “hunt” for clandestine foreigners persons must be treated with caution, even though it conforms with public opinion. 75. When finalizing his report, the Special Rapporteur was informed that on 3 September 1998, two Senegalese and one Mozambican were killed while trying to escape from a crowd of unemployed South Africans, who had threatened to kill them and accused them of “taking work from South Africans.” The incident occurred on a train from Pretoria to Johannesburg. Two of the victims were electrocuted trying to escape through the roof of the train and the other fell onto the track. The Special Rapporteur informed the South African Government of the incident for its comments. 76. This growing xenophobia can also be found among political leaders in South Africa 14/, and can be explained by two factors: 13/ Some disgraceful practices by unscrupulous employers have been exposed: they sometimes employ illegal foreigners for a certain period, report them to the police so that they do not have to pay them, and then recruit a new group of fresher illegal foreigners! 14/ A study carried out by the Centre for International and Comparative Politics at Stellenbosch University (Kotze, H., “Illegal aliens-South Africa first” say decision makers) shows that a majority among the elites in most sectors of South African society support stricter measures on illegal immigrants. With the exception of the ANC, a majority among the elites of all parties agree on the fact that “it is not our duty to take in refugees from