Police raids in Joburg CBD motivated by extortion, claim vulnerable migrant traders

Breaking surveillance cameras, shooting with rubber bullets, “confiscating” money and destroying merchandise is the modus operandi of the police and security companies during raids in the Johannesburg CBD, say business owners who had to repair their shops after a raid on 8 September. Most are migrants from the rest of Africa and Asia.  

The chairperson of the United Ethiopian Community Association in South Africa, John Habib, said even when shop owners are calm, the police use force. He said they are never shown a warrant or a search and seizure order during frequent raids.  

“Normally, police want to confiscate counterfeit goods, but first they break surveillance cameras, go straight to the tills … and they take the money. You don’t have any right to ask what they are doing or why they are here,” said Habib. 

“They shoot with rubber bullets to control the crowd, then block access and take things such as suits. A woman who sells food and drinks in a small shop had her shop destroyed. They just pulled the whole fridge down and broke all the cooldrinks she sells. We don’t know what the purpose is of destroying a small shop of a poor person selling takeaways,” added Habib. 

For several years, law enforcement authorities have carried out raids in the city to root out undocumented migrants, traders without permits and counterfeit goods. Tactical teams supported by the SAPS, metro police and other security detail cordon off blocks at a time. The officers present are meant to have search and seizure orders. The process should include an inventory of confiscated goods with copies to be left with traders so they can recover their stock once they prove the goods are not counterfeit. 

But, according to the migrants Daily Maverick spoke to, no procedure is followed, police use force, rampage through their shops and sometimes the only thing they take is money.