39 foreigners arrested in Jhb (SAPA)
Johannesburg - Thirty-nine foreign nationals, including mothers with young children, were arrested for loitering in the Johannesburg inner city, police said on Thursday. Inspector Gordon Billing said the people, mostly from Malawi and Zimbabwe, were arrested near the Johannesburg Central Methodist Church and the High Court on Wednesday.
"The Johannesburg central crime prevention made the arrests during a normal crime prevention operation," he said.Billing said five women were released soon after the arrests as they had small babies who were being breastfed. Other people were given an option to pay a R300 fine or appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday, he said.
Arrests condemned
Human rights organisations condemned the arrests, saying some of the people arrested had been awaiting medical help at the Doctors Without Borders clinic at the church. "One of our patients was arrested while queuing outside the clinic waiting to be treated. When we traced him to the Johannesburg Central Police Station to follow up on his condition, we found two more patients in police custody. One of these two patients is on antiretroviral treatment and he is in need of a refill of his supply of ARVs," said Doctor Andreas Alga. She said the arrests were aimed at "victimising and intimidating vulnerable people... and threatens to drive them away".
No comment on reasons
Billing could not be drawn to comment on why police had arrested people queuing for medical help. Wednesday's arrests follow a similar incident in July last year in which over 300 people were arrested, causing an outcry from human rights organisations.
Lawyers for Human Rights, the Legal Resources Centre and the Aids Law Project described those arrests as "heavy handed", saying they were conducted as "part of a campaign to drive homeless people out of the city centre". They took place regardless of bona fide efforts that are ongoing to try to relieve the homeless crisis in the inner city and to find shelters and care for people in desperate need," they said at the time.
The charges were withdrawn in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court three days after the arrests.
"The Johannesburg central crime prevention made the arrests during a normal crime prevention operation," he said.Billing said five women were released soon after the arrests as they had small babies who were being breastfed. Other people were given an option to pay a R300 fine or appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday, he said.
Arrests condemned
Human rights organisations condemned the arrests, saying some of the people arrested had been awaiting medical help at the Doctors Without Borders clinic at the church. "One of our patients was arrested while queuing outside the clinic waiting to be treated. When we traced him to the Johannesburg Central Police Station to follow up on his condition, we found two more patients in police custody. One of these two patients is on antiretroviral treatment and he is in need of a refill of his supply of ARVs," said Doctor Andreas Alga. She said the arrests were aimed at "victimising and intimidating vulnerable people... and threatens to drive them away".
No comment on reasons
Billing could not be drawn to comment on why police had arrested people queuing for medical help. Wednesday's arrests follow a similar incident in July last year in which over 300 people were arrested, causing an outcry from human rights organisations.
Lawyers for Human Rights, the Legal Resources Centre and the Aids Law Project described those arrests as "heavy handed", saying they were conducted as "part of a campaign to drive homeless people out of the city centre". They took place regardless of bona fide efforts that are ongoing to try to relieve the homeless crisis in the inner city and to find shelters and care for people in desperate need," they said at the time.
The charges were withdrawn in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court three days after the arrests.
- SAPA