Human rights group blast SA police for abusing Zimbabweans

By Lance Guma
08 August 2006

Human Rights Watch has just released a 53-page study criticising the South African police for abusing and extorting money from Zimbabweans in that country. The report says migrants are frequently detained in deplorable conditions before being deported back home. The police are also accused of making very little attempts to verify legal status or identify the migrants they detain.

Human Rights Watch say the number of Zimbabweans deported has increased from 75 000 in 2004 to nearly 100 000 in 2005. “Rather than reflecting greater success in crafting immigration policy, these increases in deportations are more likely indicative of a growing number of undocumented migrants,” the report said adding: ‘deported individuals often return almost immediately to SA, underscoring the limitations of the deportation policy."

Loubna Freih a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch told Newsreel the police in South Africa take advantage of people without documents because they know they are not likely to report the cases to the authorities. She however urged any Zimbabweans who were caught up in such situations to report requests for bribes or cases of ill treatment to the authorities. This she said would make it harder for the police to remain corrupt.

The report by the group focussed on the Limpopo province bordering Zimbabwe. It cited the example of a Zimbabwean man who has been arrested 5 times in Johannesburg. The police allegedly only arrest people who do not pay bribes. Freih told Newsreel that South African farmers also openly admitted to paying migrant workers wages that were below the minimum level by law. This adds to the abuse suffered by migrant workers in that country.

Human Rights Watch is the largest human rights organization based in the United States. Its researchers conduct fact-finding investigations into human rights abuses in all regions of the world. It then publishes those findings in dozens of books and reports every year, generating extensive coverage in local and international media. This publicity helps to embarrass abusive governments in the eyes of their citizens and the world. The group then meets with government officials to urge changes in policy and practice at the United Nations, the European Union, and other capitals around the world.