The Times: Refugee kids taken away

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article414808.ece/Refugee-kids-taken-away

Refugee kids taken away
Cape Town officials move Blue Waters children to places of safety
Apr 22, 2010 12:34 AM | By NASHIRA DAVIDS

Tears rolled down little Daisy Sewika’s cheeks as she clung to her father’s trench coat while her family’s belongings were loaded into a rickety taxi booked by the City of Cape Town.

The Sewika family, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, were among the dozens evicted from the Blue Waters refugee camp in Cape Town last week.

Though most families accepted the city’s offer of R1000 a person and moved back to the communities from which they had fled, more than 200 people refused to leave the vicinity and camped on grass on the beach.

On Tuesday, the city and the department of social development told the refugees that if they did not accept the council’s offer their children would be taken from them and sent to places of safety.

Though many parents at first refused – one said she would rather drown herself and her children – most had left the camp before the deadline expired at noon yesterday.

Metro police, and Cape Town and government officials, expected violence but, by 10.30am, many families had left the camp. At 12.30pm, only the Sewika family, eight children and 70 other people were left at the site.

“Cleopas Sewika had refused to leave the site or take any assistance. He has finally agreed to move to Blikkiesdorp,” said city official Kenal Omar as the taxi, carrying Sewika and his tearful daughters Daisy, 6, Plamedi, 9 and Karen 3, drove away.

The other children will be taken to places of safety while their parents decided what to do.

Many were sent to Blikkiesdorp, where the city has provided shacks for them.

“The rest had to choose one of three options – trauma counselling, skills training or a cash payout. We would arrange for transport for them to fetch their belongings that were confiscated when they were evicted,” said city spokesman Pieter Cronje.

Patrick Kawuma Male, of the UN High Commission for Refugees, said people who wanted to return to their home country would be helped.

“Some people said they wanted to go home – this can be done by our office but only under certain circumstances – only if you have refugee status in South Africa and it is safe to go to your country of origin. We cannot help those who are tourists,” he said.

People from some parts of the DRC and from Somalia would not be able to return because of safety concerns.

Former child soldier Amisi Bizozo, 25, from Burundi, said he was afraid go home or move into a Cape community.

“Here I am. I fought since 1993. I didn’t get an education. I only know how to work guns. I lived in Khayelitsha and Nyanga and the South Africans tried to kill me twice,” he said.

Somali Abdul Achmat Adbi, 14, came to South Africa alone to find his brother in Khayelitsha.

“But when I came here I was told that he had been killed. He had a shop there. Now I just want to go back home to my mummy. I am living here with a family from Somalia. I don’t know what I must do but I am very sad. I believe Allah will guide and help me,” he said before going to Blikkiesdorp.

Priscilla Mutologina and her twin sister, from the DRC, waited anxiously to be taken away. Their mother and an aunt were arrested on Sunday for public violence.

“She is in Pollsmoor and where will she find us when she gets out?” Priscilla said.

Efua Prah, of the University of Cape Town’s social anthropology department, said: “Daisy and the other children are afraid of living in another black township. This is because of the memory of violence they have.

“They lived in a township and were kicked and attacked simply because they are different.”