PRESS RELEASE: COURT ORDERS RELEASE OF 450 ZIMBABWEANS UNLAWFULLY DETAINED IN MUSINA

Despite the announcement by the Department of Home Affairs of a special dispensation for Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa, SAPS officers continue to arrest and detain hundreds of Zimbabweans in the Musina area. 

In recognition of the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, the Department of Home Affairs has finally heeded the call for a special exemption permit for Zimbabwean nationals who often do not qualify as political refugees but require humanitarian protection in South Africa.  Immigration officials have recently begun to verify the nationality of persons arrested by the police and have released all Zimbabweans from the Lindela Holding Facility (near Krugersdorp) arrested in terms of the Immigration Act. 

The police in Limpopo, however, have refused to comply with this directive.  In fact, even after immigration officials at the Beit Bridge Border Post refused to sign the papers necessary for deportation, the police drove them through the border anyway and delivered them to Zimbabwean immigration officials.  These officials refused to allow them entry without the proper documentation and the deportees were returned to the South African side to be detained at the SMG detention facility near Musina.

The lawfulness of the SMG facility is currently under consideration by the North Gauteng High Court, however Lawyers for Human Rights felt it necessary to return to court to have the police's actions addressed.  Today, LHR approached the high court in Pretoria on an urgent basis and were granted an order releasing all Zimbabwean nationals who had been held for longer than 48 hours at the facility. 

Sabelo Sibanda from LHR's office in Musina said, "We are relieved to have received this order due to the atrocious conditions and serious health situation in the detention facility.  We expect that as a result of this order, the departments within national government will finally begin to work together to ensure that the directive of the Minister of Home Affairs is implemented and that Zimbabweans will be given the permits they need for protection against unlawful detention."

For more information, please contact:

Jacob van Garderen - 012-320-2943 / 082-820-3960

Sabelo Sibanda - 074 634 3761

Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh - 011-339-1960 / Kaajal [at] lhr [dot] org [dot] za

David Cote  - 011-339-1960 / 072-628-7698