Attending: Ghalib Galant (GG), Eldred de Klerk (EdK), Weziwe Xameni, Palesa Morudu, Moses Vaphi, Laura Gratwick and 2 others.
Due to arrive 10am, hour late. Promised to bring sound system – didn’t.
First meeting: Around 60 Congolese and Ethiopians, translation by Kennedy Buswa.
11am-1pm
GG: Purpose of meeting to engage with you, invited by leadership – right moment to start dialogue. Developments: announced closure of halls and consolidation of sites – closure of Soetwater. Three options 1) reintegration 2) repatriation 3) movement to 3 remaining sites….
Q1M: Closing down of our home, Soetwater – is that a suggestion or has the decision already been made to move?
GG: (repetition of opening statement for 5 mins…doesn’t answer question)
Q2F: Lost all my stuff. Willing to reintegrate. What is your plan? How will you help?
GG: (doesn’t answer question, asks for series of questions)
Q3M: Re-registration happened weeks ago. You asked us whether we wanted to reint or repat. You should know the answers. Why are you asking again? What is the plan for implementation?
Q4M: (leader Daudet, DRC)
1) When deciding about moving Soetwater, did you think about consulting with leadership here on the ground before making a decision? (CROWD CLAPS)
2) We Congolese supported the govt’s drive to reregister. A month later, no one from the govt has yet been to follow up on choices we specified (reint;repat; UN). Now you plan on moving, you come as quickly as possible. We registered in Soetwater (shows card) why now moving us from Soetwater?
Q5M: (leader Abdul, Ethiopia) It has been 3 months and the govt is still planning. There is still no solution for our problem. Govt is only concerned about face-saving, and saving money. We are not moving from this site until there is a solution.
Q6F: (Julis, Zim) We agree – all of us. I am Zimbabwean woman, and Somalia, Congolese, Ethiopia, we are one.
Q7F: (Mother of baby born in camp): We are not moving until the UN come to fetch us.
Q8F: (Anna): Women here who were living in the township, who were raped in front of people – you are telling them to reintegrate, it will not work. We want UNHCR, not reint or repat.
GG: (lengthy explanation of purpose of reregistration…’takes time’ etc)
This refrain of the last 8/9 weeks “people don’t come to speak to us” is not true. (NB, this first time GG has ventured beyond the main gate, and Eldred’s first visit to the camp). UN, OCHA, World Food Prog, facilitators from Premier’s office, have been here. That’s the reality.
Women : Get to the point.
GG: (defensive) At least 5 people brought up registration – took 4 weeks… it’s a process. I understand the frustration – but you also have to understand we have to register everyone…
Process of repat… if refugee, UN, if not status, then IOM. Trying to bring all for repat to one place. Process will ‘get into high gear’ in the next week or so. Reint: people have gone back and got virtually all their stuff back. Masiphumelele example. Strand Somali fridges stolen and returned. Those dialogues, that process happening. Landlords have locked up places with everything intact within – easy to go back.
(Laughing and murmurings of discontent)
Weziwe: We acknowledge safety and reint points of concern. Rape – people not protecting you. Tedious to give same info again. Last week I was here and agreed with leadership: 1) to meet in smaller groups 2) promised to bring plan. Have brought pamphlet. Yes, we didn’t consult with you, but the decision has been taken. There is some money to help you. Try and work together. We will try and get the UN to come.
Palesa: Zonal coordinators and facilitators… will closely interact with you to assist your decision (reint or repat). Teams to mediate with the communities you fled from. Logistical support – transport. Foster long term relationships with communities you fled from, become part of community structures. Safety quite a serious issue (sic). Govt cannot guarantee you will be safe – or me. Visible policing – as for all South Africans. Resettlement – UNHCR has been here many times and said it is not an option at all.
(Murmurings of discontent – women especially making noises of disgust)
Daudet: Are you UNHCR?
Palesa: Here to combat practical obstacles, people living in your house etc.
Angry woman: You came here with nothing to say.
GG (high pitched) Resettlement is not an option….
Kennedy: Nothing practical so far. We were expecting you to come with a full plan – what you are going to provide, a package for people who can then move anywhere they like and start their lives again.
GG (defensive): Always “There is no plan” – we have been assisting people – even this is assistance! All situations are different, not one size fits all. Facilitators need to engage family by family e.g. money for rent, to get qualifications recognised etc. 23rd May uprooted. Some no roots. How to give you back your roots. There are foreign national communities throughout W Cape to help you, your support network.
EdK: There has been some misrepresentation… We are asking you to be patient. We always knew we would get to this point. The reasons we were not here before are many and varied: political reasons, gatekeepers etc… that is not our problem now. Work from here. We are all Africans. If you do not choose to make this place work for you, we will give you assistance within reason. We will try and get the UN etc here. We’ve broken the task up into manageable forms.. will liaise with camp manager and leadership so you know when we are here.
Kennedy: Jo’burg people assert people with no documents claiming houses. Can you assure us that you are not going to resort to use of force to remove us?
GG: Jo’b and CT very different experiences. Little coverage of Cape, good work being done here. On balance far calmer. Most have registered – that is a success story not talked about. Minimal danger of deportation. We haven’t said horrible things in the press..
EdK: Other people have said horrible things…
GG: W Cape govt approach far better than Gauteng govt. I’m really confident facilitators and communication teams and trauma counsellors on the ground will find solutions.
Kennedy: We remember twice buses and guns in the night, tank, police, without warning. Seems similar to Jo’b govt approach. Now halls to be closed, people are being moved for the 3rd time in some cases. Are you going to resort to use of force?
Woman says exhaustedly: I can’t move from here.
EdK (tense): You can’t start a conversation with someone saying “I can’t do this”, that is not a negotiation. We need to focus on individual circumstances. Not helpful different leadership saying different things. Leaders are not accountable. Confusion in Soetwater is because of personalities. (Referring now to buses and guns incident:) Some asked to leave, the timing was wrong, it was dark. No fault of anyone on the ground (sic). Some people were stopped from going, intimidated. That’s history, we’ve learned. W Cape is not Gauteng.
Crowd: But it is South Africa.
EdK: In dialogue, demands lead to deadlock – e.g. Zimbabwe. You are all Africans and have been through this process many times. Can’t proceed by putting unnecessary demands on the table. Next 2 weeks about conversations.
Kennedy: Will the UNHCR come?
GG: Eldred and the family organisations of the UN will be here. But not if this is a veiled question about resettlement. Message from the UNHCR – resettlement happens through Pretoria, ongoing on individual basis, very stringent criteria, takes 3-5 years. In the short term, you have to make another choice – this is your homework. To summarise: 1) There is a plan 2) You have to make a choice.
Q9M: (leader Belete, Ethiopia) Don’t waste our time – you already have the forms, you already know the answers. CROWD CLAPS
End of first meeting – Palesa asked Sam to distribute govt pamphlet, in English and French.
Leader Dona, DRC, asked EdK: This camp is closing – can you come every day until then?
EdK: A lot of this work will be done by civil society and NGOs. We are looking at how best to facilitate that. Start this Wed or Thur, then everyday.
Dona: There are 13 days left.
EdK: We have time.
Dona: Govt say they’re going to come tomorrow, then it takes them usually 2-3 days. We’re worried we’ll only see you when you come to move the people.
EdK: I don’t know who’d putting these ghosts in your head, your leaders or other people…
Dona (confused):?
Sam: He means me Dona.
EdK: No! Though I do worry about some of your emails…
Daudet: Not Sam! She has always been here for us….
EdK: (Re forced removal) It won’t happen.
Dona: Will Soetwater people be kept together?
EdK: What Soetwater people? There are only individuals, not Soetwater…
Second meeting: Around 100 Somalians, translations by Asad Abdullahi
1.30-3.30pm
Pamphlets not available in language of Somalians, majority group at Soetwater.
Somalians holding colour photocopies of Somalians killed in violent attacks, many with autopsy stitches (sacrilege in Muslim culture to so defile the dead).
GG: Salaam walaikum… (repeats intro, purpose of visit)
Palesa: (describes process)
1M: (Leader Abdullah Shekh) Thank you for coming. We invite you to stay tonight with us also. We ask you to be patient and listen to all of us here. Ghalib has announced options from govt side. We have listened carefully and we understand. There are more than 600 of us. Each person wants safety not SA. Govt saying lots of time. We fear they are closing the camp. Lots of us gave up and went back. 7 from Soetwater have died. More than 20 people have been hurt. No income or resources. If you give me R100 000 there is still no place to live.
These are our decisions: 1) we will not leave tent and go to another tent 2) we will not got back to where we were before.
We ask 1) to repatriate us first 2) not 3rd country 3) not SA.
Our decision only that. If govt will not listen, we will leave Soetwater and walk to borders. Don’t have transport or money to rent transport.
2M (Omar Mohamed): I am 70 yrs old. When I came here I heard SA was a democratic govt. In my country there was fighting, killing, robbing. In SA it is worse than Somalia – killing, looting, robbing. Please repat us to own country.
3M (Ali) I am from central Somalia, came to SA in 1998. Only knew 6 Somalis here. 3 of them were attacked in shop and killed by knife, buried in a church. Another 2 were attacked in shop, killed with gun and robbed. Then set fire to shop, difficult to separate bodies, buried in one grave. 1 left in shock, disappeared. I myself have been robbed 3 times. In 2000 I lost my teeth in attack. Worst in 2008, I lost everything I owned….
I have an SA wife, 2 daughters, SA Permanent Residence. I have applied 3 times for an ID. I can’t work without ID in the townships, and I can’t run a business in the townships. I don’t want to stay in SA anymore, want own country.
4M Young boy (Hassan Muhamed) 14: I was born in Somalia. The day I left my mother’s house there was a rain of bullets around my house. Came here to SA for peace. Here brothers dying every day. Don’t want SA. Need to go home. My mother and father are phoning me saying come back to Somalia.
(People all around in tears.)
5F (Binta Hassan Ali): In 2002 came to SA. Getting robbed and beaten over and over. 3 shops, 2 looted in xenophobic attacks. Owner of my home a policeman. When I went back, policeman running my business and telling me “Voetsak” and threatening me with police gun “Go otherwise I give you 5 bullets”. Up to now he is running my business. I tried to open a case in Kraaifontein police station and they said “Kwerekwere go away, no such police officer, you are the robber.” I can’t go back there, he shoot me. I can’t trust South Africa… Whatever I made from 2002 till now, was looted in 30 mins. If I live, I want to die in my country. Don’t want to end up in a mortuary like this in SA. Mogadishu, Mogadishu, Mogadishu; All’u akbar, All’u akbar, All’u akbar…
(Crowd echo sentiment.)
6M: Day I came here until today only killing and robbing. Like genocide. Can’t trust here….
GG: Lots of strong words and strong images. This past weekend, an important night, Laylatul Baraat. Gives us a moment to pause and reflect, and think about the year to come. In 2 weeks time the camps close, and the month of Ramadan is upon us. This month important on a personal and community level.
What we have to guard against is little voices that the devil speaks in your ear. That is the fight we have from day to day. Comes in different ways to us. Sometimes it looks pretty, but it’s not. Discussion within that context as well. In this time, the wish of me and my team to find solution that is suitable. I also don’t like these pictures. As a Muslim, autopsy is disrespectful. Burial within 24 hrs. This is a challenge when a person is killed and a crime involved, must be investigated, quickly and with respect. This is not a safe country. Crime problem not only for you but for us as well. But genocide? No. Non-South Africans are vulnerable. Xenophobic attacks shamed us. Lot of soul searching needs to happen, need to look in the mirror in this time of reflection. But you also need to sit down and ask what we did to contribute?
After the Prophet passed away, it was said “Those present go out to those who are absent”. Also said no distinction between Arab and non-Arab. Equality is written in our history 6-700 years ago…
(Murmur of “WRONG” from Shekh and others; Asad corrects GG: 1400 years…)
GG: Amazing thing of that message, that 700 years after that, Muslims ruled the world. Why? Because wherever they went, Middle East, N Africa, E Africa, Asia, Urals, S Europe – when went to new communmity, they integrated. Didn’t come as conquerers only, integrated. That’s the big nmessage from our history. That’s why we could make strides in science and maths etc. That is the message of Haj ul Fitr – when you go, integrate.
I’ve heard the fear. But security only comes from being part of a community. That is the big challenge. Now the thing for us Muslims from now until Ramadan is to think about the year ahead. Decision to make – some have made it already – to make that difference in SA communities, or back to our own home. Consequences of both decisions as our Islam teaches us. Choices take you down different paths. You say “Mogadishu, Mogadishu, All’u akbar, All’u akbar “ – as passionately, “How can I help you repatriate into a war zone?” I want to respect his tears, when he left his mother’s house surrounded by bullets. You ask me to send him back to that?
Yes, repatriation is an option, but conditions attached to it. Not always possible. We will respect your choice, but it’s a process – us and UNHCR/IOM have to determine whether in fact you can be repatriated in terms of international law. Can’t answer because people in different contexts, come from different parts of the country (Somalia).
Crowd murmur “No, all from Central Somalia”.
GG: Finally, thank you for the opportunity to come and speak with you. Pamphlet has EdK’s name. He and facilitators and UNHCR will be coming to Soetwater to have conversations with individual families. Over the next 2 weeks will start happening. Have to leave now. Really want to ask you, in this period so precious for us, how can we get through this process, help each other… To make the soul a good soul, even talking to govt and other officials – in spirit required of us. Eldred and his team driving this process, not me (though I will come back). Sucran…
Shekh: Thank you for speaking for the govt. Respect history. I left my mother and father, brother and uncle came here. Uncle brought brother – when he arrived, uncle had been murdered. When brother brought me, when arrived, he had been murdered. How can you say safety?
GG: Solution must take that into account. Solutions different for each. Discussion that will happen.
End of second meeting.
written up by Sam Pearce