Refugee horror exposed (The Star)
| Refugee horror exposed |
| Hearing told of death, torture and sodomy |
By Jonathan Ancer and Shaun Smillie They come here seeking a better life, but many of them end up beaten, detained - or in a mortuary. At a hearing into xenophobia yesterday, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) accused the government of not living up to its international obligations to protect foreigners. The litany of abuse against foreigners documented at the hearing, hosted by the Human Rights Commission and parliament's portfolio committee on foreign affairs, included deaths in detention; people with documents being detained; children being detained and abused; appalling facilities and prolonged detention; torture; men and women being held for up to three days under a tree, and South Africans being arrested in the frenzy to round up foreigners. According to Joyce Dube, the situation at Lindela Deportation Centre was so desperate that her organisation, the Southern African Women's Institute for Migration Affairs (Sawima), planned to hold a march tomorrow to call for God to intervene to protect the foreigners. LHR official Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh said the remains of 25 foreigners who died at Lindela, near Krugersdorp, had been unclaimed at the Leratong Hospital mortuary last year. While the Department of Health has alleged that deaths in detention were because detainees had pre- existing medical conditions, like HIV/Aids, the LHR said its investigation had revealed that most of the people had died very soon after being admitted to the centre. "Lawyers for Human Rights has investigated the circumstances of 16 deaths in Lindela. The causes of death varied from malaria and meningitis, to suicide in one case. The most common cause of death seems to be meningitis and pneumonia," Ramjathan-Keogh said. Dube, a Zimbabwean living in South Africa for the past 12 years, claimed that foreigners had been tortured at Lindela. "Our people face harassment. They are treated like animals and murderers. We heard of one man who was tortured to death - he wasn't a criminal, he just didn't have a green ID. "We are going to march to Lindela on Thursday, to ask God to look at the dying children in Lindela." Butholezwe Nyathi, who deals with health issues for Sawima, said it was shocking that most of those who died at Lindela had suffered from diarrhoea and chest infections. Ramjathan-Keogh said Lindela could accommodate 4 000 detainees but overcrowding was a serious concern - especially in winter, when temperatures can drop below zero. "Sickness and disease are easily spread and many detainees contract influenza and other viral ailments." Ramjathan-Keogh said there weren't adequate medical facilities at the centre, with a doctor consulting there for only an hour a day. The Department of Home Affairs had been arresting and detaining children and some had been abused. "There was an incident of sodomy of a Zimbabwean child by a group of adult detainees in December." Ramjathan-Keogh said there had been numerous incidents in which refugees with relevant permits were arrested and detained, despite being able to prove their status. Ramjathan-Keogh said 176 foreigners had been detained at Lindela for longer than the maximum 30 days last month. Between January and September, the LHR secured the release of 295 unlawfully detained foreigners. They had serious concerns for the way foreigners were deported from Musina, near the border with Zimbabwe. "In September, more than 1 000 Zimbabweans were deported over three days. They are detained at the Musina police station under appalling conditions. "The detention facility comprises an area enclosed by a wire-mesh fence around a tree. "There is no drinking water or ablution facilities in the enclosure. Men, women and children are detained in the same enclosure. Detainees can be held here for up to three days until they are deported." But it wasn't only foreigners who were detained - in the rush to round up illegal immigrants, South Africans were also being unlawfully arrested. Ramjathan-Keogh explained that to identify illegal foreigners, authorities relied on "profiling" - darker skin colour, manner of dress and hairstyle. NGOs agreed that the government had all the necessary legislation in place to combat xenophobia, but was not living up to its own laws. Florencia Belvedere, the acting director of the Agency for Social Enquiry, said that while SA had made great strides, the government should do more to fight xenophobia. "The government needs to lead by example. Politicians have said that foreigners are the reason that the RDP (Reconstruction and Development Programme) has failed, and for the rise of crime. "We need to separate myth from reality. We must be proactive. The government must make a concerted effort. We must not wait until we see on TV that the police are using foreigners for dog training before we react," she said. Belvedere's submission raised the hackles of MP Mewa Ramgobin, who said he did not appreciate being told what to do. "To say that this (xenophobia) is a responsibility of the government is a half-baked reflection of the past. For heaven's sake, don't exclude the question of race," he said. "I'm passing the buck to you (civil society). What are your programmes? When did you go to the government and say 'let's form a partnership (to combat xenophobia)'?" Lawrence Mavundla, of the African Council of Hawkers and Informal Business, said local traders did not have problems with foreigners, but the system was fuelling conflict. Lindela officials, the police and Home Affairs officials will be given the opportunity to respond to these allegations during the three-day hearing. Published on the web by Star on November 3, 2004. © Star 2004. All rights reserved. |