Rough Encounter With Immigration
ON Friday the 9 July 2010 I left OR Tambo International airport on a British Airways flight at 12 noon to arrive in Windhoek at 13h00 local time. On arrival I proceeded to passport control which was manned by slow working staff or rather immigration officers with dreary faces.
When I eventually got to the counter the immigration officer took my passport and immediately told me that my passport is damaged and their scanner cannot read it. Without even a moment of thought she turned and told me that she was sending me back to South Africa immediately.
I then asked how this is possible as my passport had just been scanned on the South African side and for that matter that it had recently been used in a few other countries. The immigration officer proceeded to shout out so that the whole airport could hear “that this is not South Africa, America or even Brazil but it’s Namibia”. She then proceeded to take my passport to officers office to discuss the matter and have a chat to her colleagues for 15-20 minutes.
Eventually a higher ranked immigrations officer came out stating that I have insulted her staff (my comment that my passport just worked in South Africa and numerous other countries, was seen as an insult) and that I must follow her to check me in on a return flight. During my wait I proceeded to call my client whom I was meeting with for business matters to inform him of where I was and what was taking in place.
While I was being checked in at the BA counter I asked the Immigration officer if I could speak to the person in charge of immigration and she refused to call anyone. I then asked for her name and ID number as all staff at an airport carry identification. While taking her name down she grabbed her tag from me and would not return it for me to take down her info. However I did get her name (Petrina Shigweda) but unfortunately not her ID number.
At the BA counter a woman by the name of Monika bore witness to this violent action by Shigwedha. When she handed me my boarding card Shigwedha clicked her tongue at me and told me to “go now” and took my boarding pass and on walking off I told her that this will not be the last of this matter.
While I was walking to the plane she shouted some words at my back. When I approached the plane a male immigration officer (not so gentle) grabbed my arm and took me back into the airport and proceeded to yell at me saying that I must not threaten an immigration officer. I then said that I insulted no one and merely stated that this is not the end of this matter with Shigwedha.
He was not happy with me /answering/talking back and repeated that I must not insult or threaten an immigration officer. He and what seemed to be a policeman or security officer then dragged me to what seemed to be an interrogation room where they closed the door. The two men together with Shigwedha continued to yell and shout at me and threaten me that I must not insult or threaten an immigration officer, when for the umpteenth time I answered that I had insulted or threatened no one. They now proceeded to draw a police baton and said that I was in a neutral zone and no man’s land when in the immigration area and that they will fix me up properly.
This did not scare me as I know my rights and I continued to state my case and the yelling and shouting continued. After 10-15 minutes they sent me on my way, luckily without a beating.
I boarded the plane when a woman who witnessed most of the happenings came on board and handed me her email address if I needed a witness if I was to take the matter further.
I have been informed by Namibian residents that this is not the first time this has happened, which I can believe as the immigration staff at the Windhoek International airport seem to all be on a power trip. I hope this letter does not fall on deaf ears so that action can be taken so this does not happen to other visitors to Namibia.
Paulo Costa
Via e-mail