Hundreds of Zimbabweans captured in police raids in South Africa.

By Tichaona Sibanda
11 May 2007

ZimOnline reported on Friday that at least 370 Zimbabweans were arrested during police raids in Johannesburg on Wednesday. The crime bursting crackdown targeted illegal immigrants in the city.

A building in central Johannesburg reportedly used as a sanctuary was stormed by the heavily armed police units.

Police said the combined raid aided by officials from the departments of safety and security, justice and home affairs came following reports that the building was over crowded and accommodating illegal immigrants.

Spokesperson Captain Neli Qwaba added that the building was a haven for illegal immigrants, thieves and criminals terrorising the inner-city. Eleven notorious criminals were also arrested during the raids.

The illegal immigrants, including Zimbabweans, were taken to Lindela detention centre outside Johannesburg for deportation to their countries.

Gabriel Shumba, the executive director of the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF), that deals with Zimbabwean refugee issues, is quoted by ZimOnline saying his organisation was already assisting some individuals who were ‘unlawfully’ arrested in the crackdown.

‘We have since asked the department of Home Affairs to verify the documents of those who were arrested since some of them hold valid visa and asylum papers. The organisation is putting in extra effort to see that all the people with valid or expired asylum papers are not deported,’ Shumba said.

Since June last year South Africa has deported over 51 000 illegal Zimbabwean immigrants. A recent BBC news report showed that at least 1,000 Zimbabweans a day were illegally crossing into South Africa in the dead of night, in an attempt to escape the desperate situation back home.