Bribery, harassment cases decrease

Last month the EXPRESS reported that Mr Marco Buffa, an Observatory resident and his employees were allegedly harassed and their lives threatened by police officers.

Mr Buffa said the police officers, driving a Ford ST, assumed he was Chinese. They drove to his house with his employees in the hopes of getting a bribe.

The two police vehicles involved were identified as those belonging to the SAPS Tactical Response Team.

In recent years several Chinese residents complained about the actions of the police and JMPD. There were several reports of members from these authorities, based outside the Cleveland SAPS precinct, swooping through Cyrildene and Bruma with the intention of squeezing money out of Chinese people.

In March last year the EXPRESS published an article in which Chinese residents, community leaders and the ward councillor accused JMPD officers of being corrupt. They were accused of harassment and bribery, especially in Cyrildene.

Chinese people were forced to pay bribes or face arrest, in some cases for doing nothing wrong, according to Mr Maure Chen, from the Chinatown Community Forum.

He said Chinese people were targeted because JMPD officers were aware that several of them carry large sums of cash. They were targeted during constant roadblocks that residents believe were held with the intention of making money on the side.

A few months ago, Clr Alison van der Molen, ward 118, alerted Cleveland SAPS and JMPD about officers from outside the precinct targeting Chinese residents. She sent a stern warning and said that officers should come in if they have to, do their work and leave. At that meeting, Sergeant Marius Boolsen, JMPD officer allocated to ward 118, said bribery, corruption and harassment will not be tolerated. He urged residents to take down the officers’ names and to take photographs of them if possible. He also advised victims to take down details of the vehicles these people were using and to report these incidents. Last week, Cleveland SAPS station commander, Colonel Bongani Dlamini, said, “Such cases have decreased. It is not every day that we get such cases, like we did before.”

Chief executive officer of the Chinese Community Police Forum, Mr Anderson Lee, said according to their records, there has been a decrease in cases reported to them.

He believes the main reason for this is the close working relationship between the forum and Cleveland SAPS.

“It was not local officers targeting the Chinese. I believe station management helped with the situation. We work well with them. Cleveland SAPS is managing the area well,” he said.

Mr Lee said that unlawful behaviour by authorities has a huge impact on residents.

Speaking about corrupt officers’ modus operandi in the past, Mr Lee said, “Officers would stop Chinese motorists and ask for their driver’s licence and identity document. They would also ask for their passengers’ documents which includes work permits. If a Chinese person bought goods and had written receipts, the officers would ‘not trust it’. Instead of taking these people to the police station they try to get a bribe.

“If everything was in order they would still hold them back and try to get a bribe. There are some instances where Chinese people are wrong. Some of them do not have proper documentation or drive while they are drunk, for instance. This creates a problem for all Chinese people because of generalisation,” said Mr Lee.

He said there could also be a reduction in incidents because Chinese residents in Cyrildene are more aware of how to deal with the situation now and are supported by a group of people who are part of the district management. “There is also a 24-hour hotline for people who experience problems,” he said.

Colonel Bongani Dlamini, Cleveland SAPS station commander, urged people who are victimised by officers to come forward and open a case as Mr Buffa did. Mr Buffa’s case is under investigation by Cleveland SAPS.