The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday it wants to know the whereabouts of the 9‚098 people the South African Police Service (SAPS) claims to have arrested during Operation Fiela.
“We will be submitting further parliamentary questions to the Minister of Police‚ Nathi Nhleko‚ and his colleagues in Cabinet‚ Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Mike Masutha and Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba‚ requesting them to provide clarity on the 9‚098 people arrested during Operation Fiela and exactly what the status is of their arrests‚” DA shadow minister of police Dianne Kohler Barnard said.
A reply to a DA parliamentary question revealed that Nhleko had no idea what the status of these detainees was.
“If the minister can tell Parliament‚ with certainty‚ that there were over 9‚000 people arrested as a result of Operation Fiela to date‚ it should be a simple task for him and his colleagues in Cabinet to furnish the public with the details of these arrests.
“However‚ in response to our questions regarding the whereabouts of the detainees and details of any judicial processes as a result‚ he has simply stated that ‘the information that is required is not readily available…(and) … a request is hereby made for an extension’.”
Kohler Barnard said that in a fair society “it cannot be that individuals are detained within South Africa’s borders yet their whereabouts within the criminal justice system are not readily available for reporting by the minister”.
The DA said that it was important to note that foreign nationals accounted for a portion of the arrested persons.
“This raises questions regarding repatriation and deportation. Given the laws governing such actions and previous abuses by the Department of Home Affairs at Lindela‚ it is of crucial importance that Parliament is fully appraised of the details of these arrests and any resultant actions.
“Of equal importance‚ the DA has long held that we would only support the deployment of the defence force within our borders in exceptional circumstances and in line with section 201(2)(a) ‘in co-operation with the police service’.
“With the xenophobic attacks having subsided‚ it is critical that we know the status of these arrests and Operation Fiela in its entirety.”
Where are the 9‚000 people arrested during Operation Fiela?
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday it wants to know the whereabouts of the 9‚098 people the South African Police Service (SAPS) claims to have arrested during Operation Fiela.
“We will be submitting further parliamentary questions to the Minister of Police‚ Nathi Nhleko‚ and his colleagues in Cabinet‚ Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Mike Masutha and Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba‚ requesting them to provide clarity on the 9‚098 people arrested during Operation Fiela and exactly what the status is of their arrests‚” DA shadow minister of police Dianne Kohler Barnard said.
A reply to a DA parliamentary question revealed that Nhleko had no idea what the status of these detainees was.
“If the minister can tell Parliament‚ with certainty‚ that there were over 9‚000 people arrested as a result of Operation Fiela to date‚ it should be a simple task for him and his colleagues in Cabinet to furnish the public with the details of these arrests.
“However‚ in response to our questions regarding the whereabouts of the detainees and details of any judicial processes as a result‚ he has simply stated that ‘the information that is required is not readily available…(and) … a request is hereby made for an extension’.”
Kohler Barnard said that in a fair society “it cannot be that individuals are detained within South Africa’s borders yet their whereabouts within the criminal justice system are not readily available for reporting by the minister”.
The DA said that it was important to note that foreign nationals accounted for a portion of the arrested persons.
“This raises questions regarding repatriation and deportation. Given the laws governing such actions and previous abuses by the Department of Home Affairs at Lindela‚ it is of crucial importance that Parliament is fully appraised of the details of these arrests and any resultant actions.
“Of equal importance‚ the DA has long held that we would only support the deployment of the defence force within our borders in exceptional circumstances and in line with section 201(2)(a) ‘in co-operation with the police service’.
“With the xenophobic attacks having subsided‚ it is critical that we know the status of these arrests and Operation Fiela in its entirety.”
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