19 November 2009
Diakonia Council of Churches Press Statement

MEDIA STATEMENT

Diakonia Council of Churches wishes to express its deepest dismay at
the decision by the Sydenham Police Station Commissioner Nayager to
restrict pastoral access to the Kennedy Road 13.

Immediately after the sixth postponement of the bail application of the Kennedy Road
13, on Wednesday 18 November, and upon hearing they were to be removed from
Westville Prison and further incarcerated at Sydenham Police Station, a group
consisting of clergy, representatives of Diakonia Council of Churches, and Abahlali
baseMjondolo, visited the police station and met with the Station Commissioner,
Senior Superintendent Nayager. The purpose of the visit was to plead with the
Station Commissioner for adequate visitation times for clergy, friends and family to
visit the Kennedy Road 13.

Nayager responded by granting no more than 5 minutes per day for pastoral visits
with the Kennedy Road 13, which could only be availed of between 12pm and 1pm or
5pm and 6pm. “When pastors come and pray with my policemen, they are done and
gone in two minutes. How much longer does one need to pray?” he responded.
When asked whether he considered the needs of free police officers to be different to
those of the Kennedy Road 13 who have been detained without trial for two months,
and who have been subjected to extreme violence and stress, he refused to be
drawn into further debate.

The Kennedy Road 13 have made it clear that they refuse to eat food served to them
at this station, and when asked whether they would be allowed food from friends and
family, Station Commissioner Nayager responded that all food would be examined
and searched for drugs and weapons.

In response to Nayager’s statements, S’bu Zikode, Chairperson of Abahlali
baseMjondolo noted that “I am not surprised by the response from Nayager. He has
never viewed us as human beings and continues to be satisfied in ensuring that we
live in sub-human conditions. Like others he is happy for us to remain in squalor and
filth and be satisfied with the least possible.”

Diakonia Council of Churches expresses its deepest concern for the spiritual and
mental welfare of the Kennedy Road 13, and is deeply saddened by the hard and
callous attitude of the South African Police Services, as displayed by the Station
Commissioner of Sydenham Police Station. Bishop Barry Wood, the Chairperson of
Diakonia Council of Churches, said, “We believe that our request was made in good
faith and we remain disappointed and disturbed by this response. We call on all
people of faith to pray and protest against this blatant disregard for human rights –
our need for prayer and communion with our Higher Power and one another, are at
the core of our common humanity.”

All media enquiries to:

Roland Vernon
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

DIAKONIA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
Cell: 074 311 0000
Office: +27 31 310 3551
Fax: +27 31 310 3501

Please visit us at www.diakonia.org.za
“33 Years of Working for Human Rights”