Police, soldiers in Jo’burg streets demand bribes
Posted by Nxwala on November 2, 2009
A Day in the Diaspora – Nxwala Ncube
The police in Johannesburg have introduced the stop and search operation, targeted at foreigners. This is supposed to be a good move because it was introduced to offer safety for the 2010 World Cup. But the police are abusing the move for their personal gain. I experienced this firsthand.
I’m not currently working as it is difficult for foreigners to get a job, as even South Africans struggle to find work in their country. So everyday I move around. One of these days I was asked to produce identification by a group of police and soldiers; I did not have it because if you always carry the asylum document it will be torn very fast because the paper is not very strong. One of them asked me what am I saying and I knew he wanted money for a bribe because I didn’t have my document at hand. I asked them to take me to the flat where I stay which was less than a kilometre away and they said they cannot do that. They will rather arrest me and deport me to Zimbabwe. But I’m used to them and I know their tricks and I know my rights. Those who do not know their rights become frightened, pay bribes and if they don’t, they sometimes spend the whole day in the police car. Others get beaten and have their cell phones taken away by police. When they find out you really do not have the money they take you to the charge office and you will be charged with loitering.
I was taken inside the car. It was full, and for four hours we were driving around. Those with relatives who call and claim they have the money, the police will drive there to take the money. Those relatives or friends who bring the money are not asked for identification I think because they are “good clients”. They went around with us till late into the evening, and now we were just two in the car and the police looked very happy, I think because they had money. People pay bribes ranging from R200 to R300 for not having documentation. For other criminal cases the bribe is higher depending on the case and how you talk to them.
We were about twenty all in all and I believe the three policeman had R1 500 to R2000. They asked us separately where we stay and they just delivered us to our places. There my daughter was surprised to see me. Earlier, I left her with friends and their Mum. It was time to sleep and I still hadn’t arrived, so they had to wait for me not knowing when I will come. They did not call me because they also don’t have any money.
Everyone who is not South African without the proper documents, and are scared to be deported back to their home country, pay bribes. Those with proper documents, like asylum and permits, are arrested and charged with loitering and released the next day. Apparently some police know where the foreigners stay so at the end of every month they come to collect the bribe. They say the bribe is called “inhlalakahle”, a Zulu or Ndebele name meaning “stay well”. Those who pay inhlalakahle are taken care of. Even if they are arrested in another area by other police, they phone their own police to come to talk to the other police and they are released.
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