‘Take Back smacks of apartheid era laws’
DURBAN community policing forums and residents have expressed conflicting views on a plan to fingerprint and create a database of vagrants, who beg at traffic lights in Westville, in a bid to step up the fight against crime in the suburb. While some CPFs have highlighted the benefits of such a system, others, including residents and activist groups, have warned the move brings back eerie reminders of the apartheid regime’s Dompas system, saying it discriminates against a class of people. Westville CPF chairperson Alex Gloster said “Operation Take Back” had been considered by the forum and Westville SAPS following appeals from residents to improve safety after several smash-and-grab incidents reported at traffic lights, thefts from ATM customers and stabbings. “The station commander of the Westville SAPS indicated that he had petitioned the court system for the most appropriate and proper way in which to enforce these by-laws. The approved process was outlined to the CPF executive,” said Gloster. He said the by-laws would be explained to beggars and vagrants and their written permission sought to capture and store their fingerprints on a register. Gloster said the intention was to protect the indigents from wrongful allegations and allow for the identification of repeat offenders as well as proactive crime management. SAPS spokesperson Thembeka Mbele said the project had been “initiated by the SAPS to prevent criminal activities in their policing area, but we cannot disclose further information on the operation”. Chairperson of the eThekwini Outer North Cluster (covering Durban North, uMhlanga, Verulam and Phoenix) Umesh Singh said: “We believe that a lot of the beggars are involved in criminal activities and if there is a good enough reason to suspect them for any crime, we have that 48-hour period to arrest and take them for fingerprinting and link them to activities.” Singh said a register would make it easier to track suspects. Chatsworth CPF chairperson Jakes Singh said he was concerned that this would violate the Constitutional rights and safety of beggars. Westville resident and deputy mayor Fawzia Peer said: “This will bring back painful memories of pass laws and restrictive access and limitations to the freedom of movement. I urge the police to check this matter urgently with the correct structure. It is unacceptable to subject any citizen or group of people to any form of selective profiling.” Westville resident and spokesperson for the Active Citizens Movement, Yashika Padia, said the strategy was “unconstitutional” and based on an unsubstantiated claim that begging was a source of crime.