Statement: R2K Gauteng to join Occupation Lindela

On Wednesday, 20 June 2018, the Right2Know Gauteng together with CoRMSA, Lawyers for Human Rights, Sonke Gender Justice and Treatment Action Campaign will be occupying the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp to observe World Refugee Day.  

We want to shine a spotlight on the plight of foreign nationals who are constantly detained at the centre under deplorable conditions as well as to protest against the inhumane conditions of what amounts to incarceration for the “crime” of being undocumented. This is unconstitutional.

Background:

The issue of conditions of detention has been the subject matter of both the media and has been reported on by various individuals and organisations. Since 2014, MSF, LHR and Section 27 have been working with the South African Human Rights Commission in an attempt hold the relevant bodies to account, including the Department of Home Affairs with little success. Of serious concern in this instance are the conditions of detention of foreign nationals detained at the Lindela Repatriation Centre.

There has been attempts to intervene to work in particular with the authorities that are responsible for running Lindela – Bosasa- and an effort to escalate the various initiatives of organisations which are part of the social justice movement in South Africa. The background to this crisis is located in the international context. Globally, rich countries are building walls which are turning places like the US, Europe and Australia into fortresses to essentially keep people from the South out of their countries.  South Africa and the Department of Home Affairs through its unlawful practices have been failing to implement policies that constitutionally enforce respect for human dignity and human rights.

Over two decades, the practice to manage migration and movement of people coming into South Africa has been one of repressive measures to arrest, detain and deport mostly people from the African continent seeking asylum in SA or migrant communities.

The event is scheduled to take place on the 20th June 2018 from 08:00am-16:00pm. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has called for us to support the – With Refugees’ petition, which will state the needs and rights of refugees.

Occupy Lindela is aimed at:

• Highlighting the plight of asylum seekers coming to our country, and to denounce the failed asylum system that functions more to detain and deport people seeking refuge in our country.
• To denounce the conditions of detention at Lindela and to demand that Bosasa accounts for the money that it has received – as the management of detention is outsourced by the Department of Home Affairs.
• We also demand that #outsourcing must fall. There is no oversight or means to hold a private company  accountable and the conditions of detention are unconstitutional.

For further comment contact:

Thami Nkosi: R2K Gauteng Campaigns Organizer – 062 624 5992

Alfred Tshabalala: R2K Gauteng Coordinator – 082 683 7675