In one case, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) showed no human face when they bundled a Zimbabwe citizen David Mavuta and his two children into their van, demanding that he pays them R200 or risk detention at Lindela centre.
Mavuta, whose children were also complaining of hunger, could only weep, but this did not seem to deter the police, who included an inspector, a sergeant and two constables.
Mavuta only escaped arrest when the CAJ News crew came to the scene while interviewing people from Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia, who were at Park Station, preparing to return to their countries.
“At first I told them by word of mouth that I didn’t have money on me as I left my residence in Tembisa in a hurry. The four police officers refused to set me free despite the fact that my two kids were crying for food.
“Later, the two constables were ordered to search me and they could not find anything. They then threatened to bundle me and my two kids into their van until such a time you journalists arrived,” said Mavuta.
Mavuta is just one of several dozens of thousands desperate foreigners being persecuted by the corrupt and greedy SAPS officers, who demand bribes from the African nationals.
“Instead of providing us with the much needed protection, we are being taken through hell by the police. If you come to Park Station, especially at bus termini for Zimbabwe and Malawi buses, one will be shocked to see the police officers busy either beating up those who do not want to pay bribes or forcing them into their van enroute to Lindela for detention.
“But I openly told them that deportation would be better since I did not have enough money for transport to go back to my country, and they immediately set me free,” said Morgan Mwachindalo from Malawi.
Musa Musabaeka of Chimaninimani in Zimbabwe lost R300 to the SA police that he had borrowed to enable him to travel back to Zimbabwe.
“I have since phoned my relative in Fourways to let him know that the R300 he gave me was all taken by the Hillbrow police officers, and therefore I’m returning to Fourways.
“I am really scared of staying in this country. You never know when these attackers will storm your area and start looting the few belongings that one has,” said Musabaeka.
Several women claimed to have been asked to have sex with the marauding police officers to be allowed passage back into their countries.
“I’m 41 and imagine a 29-year-old male constable demanding sexual favours from me? Fine, I am a refugee, but I wouldn’t stoop so low to allow my child to sleep with me in order to avoid deportation.
“Already I’m going home, and I’m no longer afraid of those threats. I have been beaten, lost my valuables, and why should I be afraid of police-cum-criminals?” said a woman, who only identified herself as MaDube.
These are some of the despicable experiences of African nationals living in South Africa, who are now trying to escaping the xenophobic attacks being unleashed on them, which have claimed 27 lives.–-CAJ News.
Post published in: News