500 Zimbabweans arrested in South African police raid

By Tichaona Sibanda
20 July 2006

Police in Johannesburg have launched an intensified anti-crime campaign and the first victims of this crackdown were Zimbabweans who were arrested in the crime-infested Hillbrow area.

At least 500 Zimbabweans were picked up in midnight raids this past week in an operation that is expected to be rolled out over the next six months. Authorities in South Africa said the raids were part of a national crime fighting strategy.

This follows an upsurge of violent crime in that country that has seen police and criminals clash in open gun battles. There was also growing concern among South Africans that foreign immigrants were allegedly behind the serious spate of crimes.

Thuso Khumalo, a Johannesburg based Zimbabwean journalist, said an unprecedented 600 law enforcers and officials from the departments of home affairs and correctional services have been taking part in the overnight stings.

The majority of those arrested were sent to the Lindela holding camp and immigration officials are already working on their deportation papers. About a hundred of those arrested were asylum seekers from Zimbabwe.

‘The problem with the raids is that innocent legal immigrants have been caught up in this campaign and it’s proving a nightmare for many to be released from detention,’ Khumalo said.