Turns out I was a little too optimistic about the ease of getting a police clearance certificate for a friend. I was told on Monday that I could make an appointment with the relevant lady at the police station, the first time being on Wednesday morning, and the certificate would be organised. What actually happened was that the lady came out of her office, took the money, gave me a receipt and stapled the documents together. This took 20 minutes, while I was left waiting at the counter. She then gave me a piece of paper with instructions to send it all to Pretoria, where it would take 15-28 days to process. I must phone them after 15 days to find out if it is ready. Not quite the service I had been led to believe in on Monday. I can only imagine I needed an appointment because it took so long for her to walk from her office to the desk and she needed time to prepare.
While I was waiting, there was at least a small diversion with the arrival of a police van and an assortment of six scruffy individuals were bundled out and ushered off to the cells. There was a general air of nonchalance in the group except for one young man who was handcuffed and had obviously been resisting arrest. The young woman I recognised immediately. She hangs around in Kommetjie and had her head in my bin the other day. She completely ignored my exhortations for her to remove herself from the area, which was no doubt linked to them all being there on drug charges, according to the officers on duty. I looked at her and nodded to show that I remembered her, but I doubt whether she cared!
The scene was quite distressing for me, as all I could think was that these were all some mother's children and how sad it all was. Here I was, arranging a certificate of no criminal record for a young man who has the world at his feet, and these unfortunate souls are at the other end of the social spectrum, with what appears to be little hope of a good life. It reminded me to be constantly grateful for everything I have, particularly my family.
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