On the very early morning of [6:30AM] 21st August 2021, ZHRO members [19 in all] walked for the 5th time [at 65 miles each year, means that the have walked hundreds of miles in the UK] wearing ZHRO T shirts, flying Zimbabwean flags and handing out flyers spreading the message against deportation of Zimbabweans back to Zimbabwe where they fled because of political crisis and dictatorship induced violence.
We are less than 7 days away and the excitement is building. [At the time of writing on Saturday 14th August 2021]
The weather forecasts (so far) look good - cloudy - but no rain - ideal for a long walk. Keeping cool is part of the strategy - especially one's feet! Plenty of changes of socks and talcum powder.
This year we must welcome Daisy Motlogwa and her husband, Moses, as he was newly released from detention only this week. Daisy will be driving down from Newcastle to Brighton [346 miles distance and expected to take 5 hours and 30 minutes] on the Friday preceding the "Walk for Freedom" [Friday 20th August 2021]. She will be arriving with her 3 children too, and will stay overnight at a local activist's house in adjacent Hove.
Zimbabwe Community Appeal [ZCA] Group position on the current immigration situation of Zimbabweans in the UK.
For many Zimbabweans this is the current situation that Zimbabweans in the UK find themselves in once more at the hands of the Zanu PF propaganda machine. Zimbabweans in the UK, have concerns for the many pending removals which are scheduled as identified in the leaked communique between the British Embassy in Harare and the Zanu PF Government. This identifies a target of 100 removals a month.
How will these be identified and where will they come from?
ZCA members, MDCA, ZHRO, ROHR and ZAPU are not inclined to support any murderers, rapists, and other ‘criminals’, rather they worked together to avail the needed support for those that were detained without notice, so that each one of them gets due process before any permanent outcome is decided.
We understand Ms Priti Patel’s assertion that criminals should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But the current deportees have already served their sentences or are within their sentence in respect of the very few Zimbabwean murderers affected by this Home Office Policy change.
Whilst not condoning murderers, rapists, and Child molesters, many covered by the "criminal" blanket description have committed minor crimes, and many committed some kind of fraud to be able to work in the UK. The UK Asylum system is deliberately complex, convoluted, and expensive to navigate. Many of these so-called criminals have fallen foul of the discrimination in the UK's HO.
In addition, let us not forget how dangerous Zimbabwe is for those deemed as "against Zanu PF.”Or unable [by CIO evidence] to be able to swear allegiance to Zanu PF
It’s very simple.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and their apparent communications to the Home Office do not have sufficient, nor up-to-date information to support a ‘broad-brush’ policy to deport or remove up to 100 Zimbabweans per month. A "deal" aparently made between the British Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe and the ruling Zanu PF "Government".
Irrespective of flights with 50 or less Zimbabweans on board plus the attendant “Support Staff” [Guards] Zimbabwe has become a very dangerous place for anybody connected with any opposition party, any human rights activist, journalists etc. Even now the Zimbabwean Government is pressuring NGO’s not to speak out concerning anything [to do with the Zanu PF Government]
If the Foreign Office would spend time talking with the MDC-A Opposition Party – in particular Tendia Biti, [Vice President] a gifted and committed Zimbabwean Politician, who ably steered the Finances of Zimbabwe during the “Unity Government”.
We have contact details if needed!
UK Government’s Latest Position: Sanctions
1st February 2021: In respect of Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe as stated on the UK Government Website; New Sanctions imposed.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-sanctions-against-zimbabwe-security-chiefs
Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab said:
"These sanctions send a clear message that we will hold to account those responsible for the most egregious human rights violations, including the deaths of innocent Zimbabweans."
"These sanctions target senior individuals in the Government, and not ordinary Zimbabweans. We will continue to press for the necessary political and economic reforms that will benefit all Zimbabweans."
These sanctions are in addition to our work to hold the Government of Zimbabwe to account in implementing genuine political and economic reforms that benefit all Zimbabweans.
We have published the ZiDERA 2018 Act in full to demonstrate the well thought out reforms that are desperately needed in Zimbabwe to allow for the democratisation of the Nation. This is to allow urgently needed fiscal support to be injected. These reforms are entirely resonable and justified. Only the corrupt within the military regime would object.
"If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class. One goes to the unprotected - those, precisely, who need the law's protection most! - and listens to their testimony." ~
James A. Baldwin August 2, 1924 - December 1, 1987 Occupation: Novelist
It wouild appear that not many are asking the general population what they think, instead the intimidation, oppression continue. As evidenced on August 1st 2018 and the days following; January 2019 and the treatment of Protesters on 16th August 2019 - the military Zanu PF have "resorted to type" and have killed, maimed, raped and tortured any form of opposition - or in fact just anybody, so as to intimidate and suppress all forms of opposition.
The abduction and torture of the leader of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), Dr. Peter Magombeyi is just another in a long line of strategems by the regime to intimidate the population or any critic, however insignificant. 31st Aug 2020 UPDATE: Abductions in Zimbabwe of the three MDC Youth Leaders. The arrest for exposing corruption of Journalist Hopewell Chin'ono and also Job Sikhala arrested - MDC Deputy Chair. [Zimbabwe Updates] and futher arrests occuring now. Also Hopewell now extremely ill in prision [Bail refused several times]
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 2779 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
USA Policy https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/zimb.txt
“E.O. 13288 imposed sanctions against specifically identified individuals and entities in Zimbabwe, as a result of the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons undermining democratic institutions or processes in Zimbabwe. Following E.O. 13288, in response to the continued undermining of democratic institutions, the President issued two subsequent Executive orders that expanded the list of sanctions targets to include immediate family members of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked as well as those persons providing assistance to any such individual.”
U.K. HUMAN RIGHTS PROTESTERS CAUSE THE CLOSURE OF SOUTH AFRICA HIGH COMMISSION IN PLANNED ANTI XENOPHOBIA PEACEFUL PROTEST.As Africans in the U.K. on the 11th September 2019, (11/09/19) we united to protest at SOUTH AFRICA HOUSE against the Xenophobic attacks on black migrants by indigenous South Africans carried out mostly in the capital city Johannesburg and the port city of Durban.
In the past weeks, we have seen yet again, Xenophobic atrocities happening in SOUTH AFRICA against fellow black Africans. Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Ghanaian's and so many other Africans have been affected. One of the videos shows a man being burned alive, in another video a man is apparently beaten to death, he is effectively being summarily tortured by mob rule.
Xenophobia [or more accurately AFRO-PHOBIA ] is an ugly facet on South African streets right now. Cyril Ramaphosa has done little to suppress the ghastly consequence of his "xenophobic-ticket" as he campaigned for President. Now the price of that travesty is being seen globally - but still the "luke-warm" condemnation is just not enough.