South Africa October 2006 |
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| SA smuggle human contraband, (Zimbabwe Situation, 2006-10-31):-South African Police Service (SAPS) is being accused of smuggling hundreds of Zimbabwe's socio-economic and political victims into the country in a corrupt move widely believed is aimed at subsidizing their poor salaries, CAJ News established. Allegations against the South African police, whom the public accuse of receiving bribes were at a large scale and this prompted lawyers for human rights to institute own investigations. In several incidents, it emerged that the illegal immigrants were given the green light to enter South Africa once they have paid an average of between R100-to-R200 respectively to the SAPS officers on duty. Further allegations against the SA police were that they target some haulage truck drivers, private vehicles and bus drivers from whom they demand some money from the illegal immigrants in order to be granted safety and avoid deportation. In an interview with CAJ News yesterday, a SAPS captain at Musina border post, who requested anonymity told the news agency that there were no such allegations of police corruption raised by members of the public. The police officer defended the state arguing that any reported of police corruption SAPS would have acted accordingly. The SAPS captain told CAJ News that because of the complexity involving corruption issues, people rarely reported to the superiors. "When reports are made to us, we take action," said the SAPS captain, who asked to remain anonymous. The smuggled Zimbabweans, are being asked to pay the police officers a third of their salaries to avoid deportation, a claim the SA police could not confirm by the time of going to press. This reporter recently witnessed several Zimbabweans and a Malawian national arrested for not having proper documents to enter into South Africa legally. The four were quickly loaded into a van by two policemen. The van was driven to Musina purportedly for detention at the holding centre before deportation. Subsequently investigations proved that the police were paid by the border jumpers to facilitate their free passage to a safe point beyond Musina. In another episode at Beitbridge, a woman was arrested for trying to smuggle tobacco. Instead of surrendering the contraband to the customs for evaluation, the two policemen loaded the loot into their van and the woman paid R300 for her freedom. Cross border drivers from Zimbabwe confirmed that the South African Police Service officers were now specialists in demanding bribes. "At times you find these policemen asking silly questions so as to find fault in your vehicle yet the intention will be to solicit for a bribe. "To avoid unnecessary delays we just part with a small bribe but these days they are demanding high amounts like R100 plus," said a truck driver. Asked to comment on corruption allegations a South Africa Police Captain at Beitbridge said because of the complexity involving corruption issues, people rarely reported to the superiors. "When reports are made to us, we take action," said the Captain. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |