Wrongly detained and treated like dirt by Home Affairs

Source: GROUNDUP., 03/12/2015

Every day, Zimbabwean nationals are extorted and detained without
trial in prison and repatriation centres. One detainee describes the
ordeal of wrongful arrest and detention.


By A Zimbabwean man, detained in the Lindela Repatriation Centre in
Krugersdorp even though his passport allowed him to be in South
Africa, has been released. GroundUp told his story on 25 November. He
was released two days later.


The man, who has asked not to be named, was held in a cell in
Johannesburg Central Police Station for ten days, before being
transferred to Lindela. He was allegedly arrested for being unlawfully
in the country, even though his passport allowed him to be in the
country. The arrest was allegedly also carried out not by law
enforcement officers, but by people wearing neighbourhood watch
T-shirts who allegedly demanded R300. After refusing to pay, the man
and several other foreign nationals who refused to pay, were arrested
by the group and taken to the police station.


On 27 November, the Department of Home Affairs released the
man.

GroundUp`s article appears to have had a role in his
release. Upon his release, the man — who buys goods in South Africa to
sell in Zimbabwe — decided to return to Zimbabwe. In a telephone
interview he said, "I am not sure if I will come back to South Africa.
My mother is worried about our safety in South Africa. She suggested I
stop my buying and selling business and find something else to do here
in Zimbabwe. Being in Lindela traumatised me. I am still confused and
hurting. It was unfair to be detained when I had not committed an
offence."


"My older brother had to stop working for the whole week to come to
the police station several times to try to get me released. He is also
psychologically affected by my arrest. He told me he was worried
because of the horrible stories we always hear about foreigners who
get arrested and held in Lindela. He could not eat or sleep well."


He said the living conditions in Lindela are very hard. He said the
food was not edible, there is no access to phones and the rooms are
crowded. A day before he was released from Lindela, the security
guards came to his cell, called out his name and took him to an
office. There he was asked if he owned a passport. When he said yes,
he was asked to produce it. He showed it to the security supervisor
who checked it, gave it back to him and told him he should go back to
his cell and wait to be called the following day.


The next day, he was called to the office again where he sat while the
security supervisor filled out forms. He was then asked to take his
belongings from the storeroom. He was escorted to a Department of Home
Affairs car which took him to their offices. At the Home Affairs
offices, an official scanned his passport. Satisfied it was authentic,
they told him to go. He received neither an apology nor compensation. DM