Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs in Marabastad is being run like a business instead of a government department.
That is the accusation thousands of foreign nationals made on Tuesday when they accused the officials working there of corruption.
They claimed that in order for them to receive their permits for asylum in South Africa they had to give bribes or else they would never be helped.
Permits should be freely issued to them.
“I have been here since Sunday. I sleep here and wake up early to get help but we don’t get helped here,” one foreign national said.
None of them wanted to be named, because they were scared they would be victimised when trying to get their permits. Despite them complaining about the alleged corruption at the department, they are yet to receive help.
According to them, they have to pay R100 outside the department’s buildings to get a stamp.
This stamp is not one belonging to Home Affairs officials. They are stamps of butterflies or flowers and hearts. “We know these stamps are not from Home Affairs but we want to be helped so we pay and if we don't pay they beat us,” one said.
They said they weren't allowed on the premises without the stamp because once they approach the gate, they are asked by the security guards for their stamps.
After receiving the stamp they go inside the premises where they have to pay another R100.
Once inside the Home Affairs building they have to pay a further R200 to be helped, they alleged.
“Sometimes when we get inside the building, they don't help us even though we have already paid. They tell us to go away or go back to our countries or they tell us to come back again next week.”
The next week the process starts again and more money has to be forked out.
They also claimed that the security guards solicited bribes of R150 from them to be placed in a “special line” where they expected to be helped, but most of the time they are in the same boat as the others who have not paid.
The foreign nationals from the SADC region had only Mondays and Tuesdays to get their permits or else they'd have to return the following week to have it sorted out.
The permit lasts for six months before they have to have it renewed. They said they often just received stamps from the security guards on the back of the permits which last for a week.
This stamp is a Home Affairs stamp, but it does not have a signature therefore it cannot be declared valid.
One man said his employer told him not to return to work until his permit was renewed.
Another man showed the Pretoria News team a letter from his employer which stated that they were not allowed to employ a foreign national who did not have a permit and that he would be given 30 days to have it renewed or else he would lose his job.
“This is the last day of the 30 days and I have not been able to renew my permit,” he said.
Despite being treated like second class citizens, they all said that they would rather be in South Africa than their home countries. Most of them were from Zimbabwe.
“It is very bad because there are no jobs and there is no money back home. That is why we are here.”
The angry mob blocked Es’kia Mphahlele Drive while protesting about the corruption at the department.
A few police vehicles were parked around the area and were on hand to defuse the situation should it get out of hand.
At one point, the mob assaulted a man they said solicited bribes from them when they were waiting in the line.
Thabo Mokgola, spokesman for the Home Affairs Department, was on the scene during the protest.
In their anger, they also damaged the door leading into the building, as well as a Home Affairs sign.
“We have made it clear as the Department of Home Affairs that the asylum seeking process or the application thereof is free of charge.
“We have made a call to foreign nationals that seek asylum in the country that they should not pay any amount during the whole process,” Mokgola said.
“In our view, if any Home Affairs official is found to have been soliciting a bribe from any of these people who are here to legitimately seek assistance, the department will take steps. However, such allegations need to be proven,” he said.
He said they warned the asylum seekers of rogue elements soliciting bribes outside of the building.
“In any desperate situation there will be opportunists,” Mokgola said.
Pretoria News
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