SA cops roughs up
Somalitalk journalist
Wrongfully
arrested! SA cops
mishandle foreign
nationals including
journalists....
- It was a fine
day, just like any
other ordinary day,
the streets of
Mayfair Johannesburg
was quite and as
usual people were
carrying out their
daily activities.
Given the outbreak
of xenophobic
attacks in the
country the presence
of hundreds of
Somali displaced
business people
could be felt easily
as they stand in
groups besides the
8th avenue.
8th Avenue Mayfair is
dubbed "little Somalia"
by the local South
Africans. The street has
become the last few
years the hub of
activity. There are a
dozen of Somali
restaurants in the area.
A newly founded Masjid
becomes an added value.
Women in cloak and
sometimes in full veil
are seen moving around.
There are endless
stories of police
extorting money from the
foreign nationals. The
men in blue are not
liked in this street. I
have number of occasions
interviewed people who
were allegedly "robbed"
by police.
At about mid day
everything changed
dramatically, shots were
fired, stones were
thrown, people were
arrested and the place
soon become just like a
scene from the
post-election violence
in Kenya, as the blaring
sirens of the police
vans and tens of police
officers were deployed
to the street, blocking
all roads leading to the
area,. The situation
became tense.
The drama begun when a
policeman wanted to
search a man. Later, I
was told the young man
had money with him and
it was visible from his
jeans. The man refused
to be searched and begun
running away. He gave
chase the man and
directly shoot towards
him. No body knew what
it was all about, but
certainly everybody’s
mind flashed back into
the bad memories of the
Xenophobic attacks in
the townships weeks
before or so, and the
experience they had with
the police is not good.
They believe not only
police failed to protect
them, but took part the
attacks against them, so
on seeing a police
chasing one of their
members, and even firing
shots, meant a broad
daylight attempt of
robbery. They never took
too long to take the law
into their hands by
physically attacking the
two policemen who were
after the man.
They threw stones and
used every blunt object
to attack the cops in
action, two of the
officers fled the scene
on foot to safety, while
the gun toting officer
charged the violent
crowd, he runs back to
the abandoned van, then
does the same for
several times, as the
rainy stones kept
pouring towards him and
the van, breaking its
window panes. For the
next two hours it was
like chaotic scene.
As a journalist covering
xenophobia in South
Africa I leant not to
leave my little digital
camera behind as drama
can unfold any minute.
On this Thursday
afternoon it was
exceptional. I kept
clicking my camera
shooting photos, and
observing the situation,
but as the violence
appeared to be out of
hand and could cause
more damage, I realized
that I had a role to
play to intervene the
situation. I braved my
way into the hotspot and
threw my self midway
shouting at the top of
my voice pleading for
calm, some more peace
loving people around
joined me and eventually
the crowd dispersed
after 30 minutes of
stalemate.
The cops called for a
back up from
Johannesburg Central
police station which
immediately sent heavy
reinforcement. They
arrived 15 minute late,
and within a moment they
were running into all
direction arresting
everyone in sight
without having clues
what was happening! I
wondered my self why the
police are so swift
responding the situation
when there is no public
violence. For the crime
affected people in
Mayfair and Fords burg,
some people are even
reluctant to call the
police when they are
being robbed, maimed or
their house broken.
Simply, they will tell
you police will not
respond. Now, police are
all over because there
in no danger.
What amazed me was that
the police used live
ammunition against
Somalis, but rubber
bullets against the
belligerent South
Africans who killed,
raped and destroyed
everything belonged to
foreigners in South
Africa.
At last they rounded-up
more than 30 Somali-born
persons, including my
self______ the peace
maker or the journalist
who pictured cops red
handed?? No one cares as
long as they knew I am a
Somali____ I was the
sixth person who was
thrown into back of the
police truck, every
minute there was another
suspect dragged next to
me, most of the with
bruises in their face
and some bleeding from
the noise, I could see
from the inside cops
kicking, slapping and
beating who ever gets
into their hand.
We were finally
transported to John
Voster (JHB Central
police station), a place
where I met the most
humiliating situation.
This station is one of
the largest police
station in South Africa;
where the rule of law is
to be upheld. Suspects
for whatever crime
should be treated with
dignity, but what I saw
with my eyes proved
contrary. At least 10
cops surrounded us, they
slapped, they kicked,
they shouted with
insults. Sometimes we
were reminded that we
are in the wrong country
and should go back.
We were charged with
three counts of heinous
crime: A-malicious
damage to state
property, B- assault of
police officer C-
illegal gathering (this
charge is no longer
applicable to South
Africans after demise of
apartheid), and we
finally made our way
into the holding cells
in which we felt some
kind of relieve.
After first court
appearance, we were
taken to the notorious
virtually C-Max prison
known as Sun City. Here,
you may think everyone
in Johannesburg is
awaiting trail. There
are tens of thousands of
suspected criminals. Sun
City prison is supposed
to be rehabilitation or
locally known
correctional services.
The effect is opposite.
Prisoners smoke
everything under the
sun; cocaine, marijuana,
horein etc. I was told
that prison warders
smuggle these stuff
inside the cells. If you
need extra food, you
only need to pay R5 to
the warder. Extra
blanket can cost you
R20. I was also told
there are organized
gangs operate here.
From May 22 to June 3,
13 days of unlawful
detention, with three
times court appearance,
we were finally released
with no charges; the
state withdrew the case
simply because it was
false charge. Our
attorney whispered to us
that the state did not
have a strong case. "It
is un winnable" he said
and therefore they took
out of the court roll.
I was so upset at the
initial days of my
detention but felt calm
when we were released. I
reminded my self that at
least one judge or
public prosecutor is
still upholding the
country's constitution
with respect.
BY: Abdinasir Ahmed
Bashir, Freelance online
journalist.
Email:
saxansoxo1@hotmail.com,
cell: 0767059384.
Johannesburg
Faafin: SomaliTalk.com | June 7, 2008
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