Wow guys! Let me thread for you in the interest of transparency

Last year I borrowed a friend money who was struggling financially whilst on maternity leave. The agreement was I wouldn’t rush her to pay until she was back on her feet

She did get back on her feet and was back at her job. I ran into some financial problems of my own and since she was 2 months into a good job I asked her if she could pay me back and she promised she would see.

That month end, I think it was end November 2019, when I reminded her she said she couldn’t. I understood and said let’s try again next month

After about 3 months of her promising, never getting back to me, and leaving me hanging she finally told me she wished I had not given her the money, she regrets it because she felt I was hounding her. This someone I would call not more than twice a month to ask about the money

We subsequently had a fall out over something unrelated. And she has been using this fall out to give me radio silence about my money. I have cajoled, texted, emailed and called, no answer. Then she blocked me

Last month I finally decided to take the matter further as a matter of principle. I wrote her an email Outlining my intentions. She never responded.

On the 21st of August I fetched a letter of demand from the small claims court. Guys she owes me 10k, plus a set of pearl earrings and a necklace valued at around 5k. It’s not much. But it’s a matter of principle for me. I have owed people money too and communicated with them

To avoid confrontation I sent an uber driver to deliver the documents which were promptly dismissed by her

I waited for a month and went back to small claims court. They told me without a signature the court could not help me and that I had to personally give her the documents. They then advised that I sign new documents and ask the police in her jurisdiction to accompany me

Being accompanied by police in these cases is apparently an option to avoid altercations. It is not illegal. Therefore I used this option myself to avoid drama, and to have witnesses

I went there 3 times with the police. And all these times I was told she wasn’t available. I took this with a pinch of salt but accepted it as there is nothing else to do.

The third time, and that was today, 2 of her relatives came out and asked the police and I why we were harassing them as police should not be involved in small claims, and therefore their presence constituted harassment

They accused the police of being used by people in power to fight personal battles. And an argument ensued between one police woman and the 2 ladies

The whole time I stood a distance because this is the very drama I had been wanting to avoid which they were trying to rope me into

I know police negligence and aggravation in SA. I have been a victim of it. I calmly tried to intervene explaining to the 2 women that there was nothing wrong the police had done by accompanying me, they were doing their job. I just wanted documents signed.

These police didn’t even know who I was. My ID name is different from my stage name. I was wearing a mask. When the policewoman was challenged to tell them who they were representing she couldn’t say because she didn’t know my name.

The first 2 times I had gone with a different set of police. It was the first time I was going with these ones. Even the first 2 times the police didn’t know who I was. And I never volunteered the information.

I know that police trigger many of us, and we all react differently to their presence. I am being put to task because I removed myself from the drama and calmly told the policewoman to do the same. There was no ki ki ing of any kind.

Because I have gone to the house 3 times without getting the documents signed, I have gotten an affidavit instead, outlining the events of the past 3 days. I will take this to small claims court and see what they do with the information

I frankly do not see how my actions can be viewed as harassment in light of the events I have stated in this thread

GBV is a serious issue and all parties who fail us should be taken to task. I am not one of those people. Thank you for your time