LOOK: City to continue enforcing by-laws on refugees after distressful scenes
Cape Town – The City of Cape Town is continuing its operation to enforce an order granted by the Western Cape High Court in respect of the refugees who have been illegally occupying open spaces within the CBD, said Richard Bosman, City executive director for safety and security, on Tuesday.
"The court order granted on February 17 gave the City the go-ahead to enforce its by-laws in the Greenmarket Square area.
"This operation was completed yesterday, but was then followed by an illegal invasion of refugees at St Mary’s Church opposite Parliament.
"The church laid a charge of trespassing and the City then supported the South African Police Service in removing the group from the church premises.
"Overnight, a group of the refugees settled on open land in the vicinity of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The City’s enforcement agencies have since started an operation to move them from this piece of land.
"We need to reiterate a few points, as per the court order:
1. The refugees who have been moved from Greenmarket Square are not allowed any conduct in contravention of the City’s by-laws anywhere else in the city. 2. That any such conduct would be in contempt of the court order. 3. That neither the City, or any other agency, has to provide alternative accommodation to the group. 4. As indicated in our original communication on this matter on Sunday, 1 March, we appeal to the refugees to return to the areas they were living in before the initial sit-in protest in St. George’s Mall.
Picture: Phando Jikelo / African News Agency (ANA)
"There were no arrests during the operation at Greenmarket Square. Following the invasion of St Mary’s, arrests were made – the South African Police Service would be best placed to speak to the number of arrests and the charges.
"During the current operation, three arrests have been made – three males aged 17, 38 and 41, charged with assault on a police officer, contravention of a court order and resisting arrest.
"This is an extremely volatile situation, which the City is trying to manage as best as possible and we appeal to everyone concerned to please allow our staff to execute their duties in line with the court order."
Raphael Wolf
reported that Law enforcement and Metro police muscled, shoved and walked refugees out of the grounds of the St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in the city centre and a public park a few blocks away amid emotion-charged scenes of distress yesterday.
On Sunday, police arrested eight refugees at the cathedral, to which they had retreated after being forced to leave Greenmarket Square and the adjacent Methodist Church.
The operation followed a February 17 court order allowing for a seven-day verification process by Home Affairs of all refugees who had been occupying that space since October.
That verification process ended on Friday, paving the way for the City’s by-law enforcement operation.
Picture: David Ritchie / African News Agency (ANA)
During yesterday’s operation highly emotional refugees, including women with tears streaming down their faces and with children and babies crying at their sides, wanted to know from officers where they should go.
But the officers, guided by their commanders, kept steadily advancing on the group, all the while forcing them to retreat with their meagre possessions to the corner of Constitution and Tennant streets near District Six.
The cries of the retreating refugees included accusations that the government, City and other authorities were behaving inhumanely.
Some of the refugees called on officers to shoot them as they were “tired of being pushed from pillar to post” with nowhere to go.
A refugee single-mother of three, cradling her two-month-old grandchild in her arms said: “They (authorities) don’t feel sad, even for the children. Look how the children are even sleeping outside.
“They must leave us alone. We want to leave this country. We are tired. We don’t have the papers. They don’t want us in this country, they don’t like us. I’m ready, even if they send me back to my country.”
Police spokesperson FC van
Wyk confirmed the eight arrests on Sunday.
“The suspects were charged with trespassing at St Mary’s Church, Hope Street and the city centre, and taken to the Cape Town Magistrate’s court for their first appearance.”
Picture: David Ritchie / African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Times