Thieves operate among the crowds of people outside Home Affairs’ Desmond Tutu Refugee Centre in Pretoria. Photo: Kimberly Mutandiro
31 May 2017
Asylum seekers who visit the Desmond Tutu Refugee Centre in Pretoria complain that they are routinely robbed by thieves hanging around outside the gates.
Witnesses say groups of five to seven thieves encircle a victim, cause a commotion, then pickpocket or snatch valuables from the person’s bag – cellphone, wallet, whatever they can lay their hands on. Often, people only become aware later that they have been robbed.
Regulars at the centre say they know who the thieves are and who to avoid.
Home Affairs security officials only patrol within the gates.
Thoata Makambi, originally from Congo, was attacked when he went to renew his refugee status. He says five men manhandled him and took his cellphone.
“At first, I thought it was security searching me before I went into the centre,” he said. He managed to run after one man and recovered his Nokia 111 phone. “The man insulted me, saying that my phone was ‘cheap anyway’, before handing it back.”
Clementine Abu, a refugee who sells food outside the centre, said that he witnesses attacks on a daily basis. “The thieves are not scared to rob people. They have so much courage because there are no law officers outside,” he said.
People queuing outside also tend not to intervene.
A number of people told GroundUp of a recent incident in which a man in his 20s was beaten up by a gang of thieves for attempting to fight back when they mugged him. They took his wallet, money and shoes. No one helped him.
Doris Mailanda, an Angolan national living in Kempton park, said: “We appeal for more security to be provided outside the refugee centre.”
Spokesperson for Home Affairs Thabo Mokgola said, “Home Affairs is only responsible for security for its premises. Theft outside the Home Affairs premises is the responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the municipality. Home Affairs cannot talk to police to ensure security outside its premises; police should take up that responsibility.”
Captain Kay Makhubele of SAPS said: “When asylum seekers at the Refugee Centre are robbed or assaulted by thieves they should go and open cases at the police so that police can be made aware of what is happening. If they open cases at the police that they are being terrorised police will investigate and deal with the culprits. If they do not report how are they going to get help?”
GroundUp previously reported on conmen who also operate outside the centre.