eMzantsi Ubuntu Coalition
muis | 07.11.2008 00:46
An extremely emotional 10 days for all in the camp
I have been unnaturally tired for the last 10 days – fell asleep in my clothes on 4 different nights. I wondered why, and then I realised that this last week and a half has been different than any other in both Bluewaters and Soetwater. Over the last 10 days, peoples’ stories came out in force. There was a need to explain the reasons for their overwhelming fear of ‘reintegration’ into the Cape Town communities from which they fled. Monday a week ago they were told that their tents would be taken down and all facilities – food, electricity and sanitation withdrawn on Friday. This was a huge shock to many of the refugees, because they had been told that if they wanted to be repatriated that they could stay in the camp until their repatriation procedures were finalised. After lengthy discussions with the Premier Lynne Brown, she agreed to an extended closure process. The camp is now scheduled to close on Friday the 7th
On Monday, there were the tears of the woman from DRC with the baby on her back. She shook as she cried. What must she have experienced in Cape Town to have evoked that response? There was the silent weeping of the Somali woman who had been gang raped and seen her husband murdered in Khayalitsha. The quiet dignified response from the mother of the newborn baby ‘Where must we go?’, as she rocks her to sleep. The Ethiopian man who told me of the killings in Ethiopia from which he fled. The lack of answers from me.
On Tuesday – the story of a young Rwandan woman’s life, where she recounted seeing her parents brutally murdered, fleeing to a refugee camp with her sister in Tanzania. She told of the time when the rebels attacked the refugee camp, and there were many people killed and dead bodies everywhere. The story of being taken on a boat across Lake Tanganyka, and the long journey to South Africa. “Killing everywhere in Africa. Killing always killing”.
The story of her life here with her husband and two children. How she was studying business economics when the xenophobic attacks occurred. Her husband had a good job as a chef. Her plan for their life has fallen apart. “I had a plan, but it was not God’s plan for me’. She and her family have tried to reintegrate twice and have been attacked badly both times. She cant see a way out. “Perhaps I must just die”. I can offer her no solution.
On Wednesday – the news that a young Tanzanian man had been murdered in Parow the night before. He had ‘reintegrated’. And the terrible pain on the men’s faces, as they told me about their stress and fear. He was a brother of one of the men in the camp. ‘They will kill us if we reintegrate. Now I have lost my brother and father in Xenophobia. I am alone. If they kill me who will look after my wife and kids?’. I can’t answer.
On Thursday – one Congolese man’s story of being taken by force in the Congo, and tortured, until he agreed to fight for the militia. The story of his escape, when he could not bear to kill anymore. How he hid in the thick vegetation for days. How he threw away his gun and crawled through the vegetation until he met a group of priests who dressed him in one of their cassocks and smuggled him to the border. The story of his journey to South Africa, and the realisation that he was hated in South Africa, because he came from somewhere else.
We hear that a Somalian man was murdered yesterday, and a woman raped when she tried to go and find accommodation so that she could ‘reintegrate’.
On Friday, the widowed Zimbabwean Grandmother who tells me she and her daughter came to South Africa, because it is the ‘Mother Country’. A mother looks after others. ‘God made us all equal, so why are they killing us?’. She sobs and looks away from another kind white person who can’t give her an answer.
I have spent the last few days trying to identify the most vulnerable people in the camp, so that they might have some sort of follow up when they leave the camp. There are many people I have never seen before appearing from out of the woodwork, as people start to panic. There isn’t enough to do this job well. Someone in TAC has found about 9 places in various different shelters for women and children, and 20 places for single men. We have been trying to persuade people to take the places, but they are still saying they will stay in the camp, with no shelter, food or electricity. Perhaps they believe that if things get that bad that UNHCR will come in and resettle them.
Two women from Trauma Centre arrived on the scene last week. Lovely caring women, who will do a good job, but why have they arrived so late?
We have two abandoned boys in the camp, brothers, both under 10 years old. Their case has been known to Social Development since August. A volunteer in the camp who knows them well has brought their case to the attention of NGOs who should be able to help. Yet, nothing has been done. Apparently Social Development today stated that the boys are not vulnerable, as they have a father who is living. They refuse to recognise the fact that he has abandoned them. How can an organisation that is charged with the care of vulnerable people be so callous and uncaring? Is it because they are not South Africans?
When I arrived in the camp this morning, people were extremely hungry. The camp manager showed me 3 plates of maggots on her desk. These maggots were in last nights supper. People went to bed hungry last night.
Another 4 murders this week, and it’s only Wednesday night.
Oh and last week, I saw a man badly beaten by a Home Affairs official when waiting in line to be given his refugee status.
If anybody knows of accommodation for a widowed Congolese man and his two children, aged 4 and 12 please let me know. He is vulnerable, but does not fit into a shelter situation. Shelters either cater for women and children or single men, not men with children.
Thanks for reading. All donations gratefully received as usual – financial if possible – to help people set up a new life.
Jo (082 0438644)
I have been unnaturally tired for the last 10 days – fell asleep in my clothes on 4 different nights. I wondered why, and then I realised that this last week and a half has been different than any other in both Bluewaters and Soetwater. Over the last 10 days, peoples’ stories came out in force. There was a need to explain the reasons for their overwhelming fear of ‘reintegration’ into the Cape Town communities from which they fled. Monday a week ago they were told that their tents would be taken down and all facilities – food, electricity and sanitation withdrawn on Friday. This was a huge shock to many of the refugees, because they had been told that if they wanted to be repatriated that they could stay in the camp until their repatriation procedures were finalised. After lengthy discussions with the Premier Lynne Brown, she agreed to an extended closure process. The camp is now scheduled to close on Friday the 7th
On Monday, there were the tears of the woman from DRC with the baby on her back. She shook as she cried. What must she have experienced in Cape Town to have evoked that response? There was the silent weeping of the Somali woman who had been gang raped and seen her husband murdered in Khayalitsha. The quiet dignified response from the mother of the newborn baby ‘Where must we go?’, as she rocks her to sleep. The Ethiopian man who told me of the killings in Ethiopia from which he fled. The lack of answers from me.
On Tuesday – the story of a young Rwandan woman’s life, where she recounted seeing her parents brutally murdered, fleeing to a refugee camp with her sister in Tanzania. She told of the time when the rebels attacked the refugee camp, and there were many people killed and dead bodies everywhere. The story of being taken on a boat across Lake Tanganyka, and the long journey to South Africa. “Killing everywhere in Africa. Killing always killing”.
The story of her life here with her husband and two children. How she was studying business economics when the xenophobic attacks occurred. Her husband had a good job as a chef. Her plan for their life has fallen apart. “I had a plan, but it was not God’s plan for me’. She and her family have tried to reintegrate twice and have been attacked badly both times. She cant see a way out. “Perhaps I must just die”. I can offer her no solution.
On Wednesday – the news that a young Tanzanian man had been murdered in Parow the night before. He had ‘reintegrated’. And the terrible pain on the men’s faces, as they told me about their stress and fear. He was a brother of one of the men in the camp. ‘They will kill us if we reintegrate. Now I have lost my brother and father in Xenophobia. I am alone. If they kill me who will look after my wife and kids?’. I can’t answer.
On Thursday – one Congolese man’s story of being taken by force in the Congo, and tortured, until he agreed to fight for the militia. The story of his escape, when he could not bear to kill anymore. How he hid in the thick vegetation for days. How he threw away his gun and crawled through the vegetation until he met a group of priests who dressed him in one of their cassocks and smuggled him to the border. The story of his journey to South Africa, and the realisation that he was hated in South Africa, because he came from somewhere else.
We hear that a Somalian man was murdered yesterday, and a woman raped when she tried to go and find accommodation so that she could ‘reintegrate’.
On Friday, the widowed Zimbabwean Grandmother who tells me she and her daughter came to South Africa, because it is the ‘Mother Country’. A mother looks after others. ‘God made us all equal, so why are they killing us?’. She sobs and looks away from another kind white person who can’t give her an answer.
I have spent the last few days trying to identify the most vulnerable people in the camp, so that they might have some sort of follow up when they leave the camp. There are many people I have never seen before appearing from out of the woodwork, as people start to panic. There isn’t enough to do this job well. Someone in TAC has found about 9 places in various different shelters for women and children, and 20 places for single men. We have been trying to persuade people to take the places, but they are still saying they will stay in the camp, with no shelter, food or electricity. Perhaps they believe that if things get that bad that UNHCR will come in and resettle them.
Two women from Trauma Centre arrived on the scene last week. Lovely caring women, who will do a good job, but why have they arrived so late?
We have two abandoned boys in the camp, brothers, both under 10 years old. Their case has been known to Social Development since August. A volunteer in the camp who knows them well has brought their case to the attention of NGOs who should be able to help. Yet, nothing has been done. Apparently Social Development today stated that the boys are not vulnerable, as they have a father who is living. They refuse to recognise the fact that he has abandoned them. How can an organisation that is charged with the care of vulnerable people be so callous and uncaring? Is it because they are not South Africans?
When I arrived in the camp this morning, people were extremely hungry. The camp manager showed me 3 plates of maggots on her desk. These maggots were in last nights supper. People went to bed hungry last night.
Another 4 murders this week, and it’s only Wednesday night.
Oh and last week, I saw a man badly beaten by a Home Affairs official when waiting in line to be given his refugee status.
If anybody knows of accommodation for a widowed Congolese man and his two children, aged 4 and 12 please let me know. He is vulnerable, but does not fit into a shelter situation. Shelters either cater for women and children or single men, not men with children.
Thanks for reading. All donations gratefully received as usual – financial if possible – to help people set up a new life.
Jo (082 0438644)
muis