South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO) is much concerned about the South African Police Services (SAPS) raid last Wednesday at the Central Methodist Church in the Johannesburg CBD around 11:00pm. SANGOCO has considered this attack as an undermining way of human rights and dignity – enforced by our Constitution. In fact, the South African Police Service raid is additionally seen as a disgrace to the church and to Bishop Paul Verryn. The coalition asserts that such operation is contrary to the South African UBUNTU and African Fraternity and Unity spirit.
The police deployment into the Methodist church - without any warning notice to the church superintendent (Bishop Paul Verryn) - and conducting arbitrary arrests of hundreds of immigrants who are living in the church constitute a transgression of our human rights and security strongly protect by the South African Constitution. In fact, the Constitution emphasizes on the human rights protection.
Concordant sources attest that many of Zimbabwean asylum seekers and refugees (men, women and children as well) were arrested and detained at the Johannesburg central Police Station after being beaten and loaded into the police trucks. Their situation was critical and needed urgent and adequate solutions. In fact, the detainees were cut off any form of assistance (medical, legal, social…) by police.
According to the Bishop of the Central Methodist Church, the detainees had been denied adequate food and water on Friday. He said the people arrested were in exile in South Africa from African countries, particularly Zimbabwe, and they were allegedly assaulted and their property destroyed during the raid. Bishop Verryn said that although the police were looking for criminals in the building, “they themselves became the perpetrators of criminal action”. This shows the ambiguity of charges brought against the detainees.
Civil society and non-governmental organisations are undertaking actions against such unprofessional way of conducting raid by the SAPS. Therefore, the Legal Resource Centre was appointed as legal representation for the detainees after the church - known as a haven for Zimbabwean refugees.
SANGOCO is calling upon its members organisations to stand and plan actions that will help keep the better image of our society and country in term of sociality and fraternity to accommodate our fellow African brothers and sisters. The coalition believes that ahead of 2010 world cup event, we have the challenge of protecting and safeguarding human rights and dignity. In fact, many people who see South Africa as a Land of ‘milk and honey’ or current ‘Africa’s Paradise’ come and expect to stay in a safe and secured environment. Such attack on foreigners can be an impediment to the event to pull millions of fans Soccer lovers into South Africa.
SANGOCO recognizes the challenges that the SAPS is facing in fighting and combating crime. So far, the coalition acknowledges the wonderful job undertaken by the police in tracking down crime rate in the country. Yet, everyone is calling upon a ‘free crime’ South Africa. Consequently, there is a national responsibility to work and end crime.
Its concern however lies on the way the SAPS is conducting its raids. SANGOCO believes that the Church cannot be a sanctuary for criminals. In fact, the churches and NGOs are the mostly affected organisations which are sharing immigrants (legal or illegal) challenges and trying to help them and give them hopes. It is therefore necessary that the SAPS works closely with the department of home affairs, civil society, non governmental, faith based and community based organisations with the purpose of not only identifying legal or illegal immigrants but also knowing their problems and challenges.
Additionally, the coalition strongly regrets the crude way in which the police services are operating in and selling the country. SANGOCO thinks that what happened at the Central Methodist Church must be a learning experience for the SAPS and such attack will never continue as it undermines people’ s freedom, security, respect and dignity. But if necessary, the raid can be conducted for sake of our people and country safety and security but with respect to human rights and dignity.
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