and when furnished with asylum papers destroy them? After destroying papers they then ask for bribes for one’s freedom even though they would have produced documents as required. If it means that refugees are no longer welcome, why not ask the UNHCR to take over the responsibility of taking care of refugees.
The South African government should also declare to UNHCR that they cannot offer refuge. Zimbabweans are escaping severe torture under the Mugabe regime and hoping for refuge in South Africa. But government authorities such as SAPS are becoming perpetrators of already traumatized souls.
The commissioner of police has done nothing to help hence the call for Mbeki as the president to talk to Selebi and see that he instills discipline in his police officers. Those resources used to abuse Zimbabweans should be better utilized to fight crime.
The police force should stop concentrating on trivial issues and start to search for solutions on the ever-rising crime.
Please Mr President, Thabo Mbeki, do something to bring professionalism in the police force. It pains me even though I am not a victim but I do have a close friend of mine who failed to report a rape case even though I had offered to contact some NGO’s for her protection as her visa expired before she could get an asylum paper. She was afraid to be deported, and she is not the only one in such a situation.
JOHNNIE, Cape Town
Post published in: Uncategorized