Francis Hweshe
13 January 2009
All was quiet at the controversial Nyanga Refugee Centre early on Tueaday after a stand-off with police on Monday.
But neighbouring businesses, who complain that the centre is the cause of daily disruption and inconvenience, want the facility moved.
Twenty-one businesses, led by bus company Intercape Mainliner, have teamed up in taking the Department of Home Affairs to court in a bid to compel it to move the centre.
The department has acknowledged the problems and says it intends finding a solution.
On Monday morning the situation at the centre got out of hand, resulting in a stand-off between police and refugees.
Police fired tear gas and several rubber bullets, refugees said, claiming that some children were hurt.
Neighbouring businesses complain that the situation was intolerable with queueing refugees blocking the roadway making it difficult for staff and clients to work or conduct business, or find parking. They also said there were no toilets at the centre for refugees.
Eugene Schoeman of Eugene Schoeman Attorneys, who is representing the 21 complainants, said an interdict was sought against the department on December 18 last year. A letter of demand had been handed to the department, but it had yet to respond.
Schoeman said the department had until January 31 to respond to the letter, failing which the matter would be heard in the Cape High Court on February 5.
"(The centre) is not properly zoned for such activities - that is why they (businesses) are up in arms," said Schoeman.
An employee of Intercape Mainliner, whose premises are opposite the centre, said staff had to endure the constant shouting that went on between security guards and refugees battling to get into the centre for asylum papers.
Refugees approached by the Cape Argus alleged that bribery played a part in securing asylum papers.
They said only those who paid bribes had their papers sorted out, while some who spent weeks queuing every day were turned away.
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