******* PRESS STATEMENT - Fight the Flight *******
(Zimbabwe Community Appeal Working Group – UK - 17 July 2021)
The Home Office appear to have ‘changed’ policy with respect to Zimbabwean Nationals in the UK.
As far as we know 150 Zimbabweans have been detain and awaiting a chartered flight to Harare, Zimbabwe on 21st July – in three days.
Therefore, a working group with members from ZHRO, ROHR, MDC-A and ZAPU was put together on 14 July 2021 and mandated by its members, other Zimbabweans living in the UK and various organisations to coordinate efforts to stop the deportation of people back to Zimbabwe – ‘Fight the Flight.’ This will be done through the courts, advocacy and lobbying of various groups and entities.
The Home Office assessment of the conditions in Zimbabwe that removals will face is predominantly based on the situation in 2016 plus a few minor updates. In practice the situation in Zimbabwe is far worse that they have considered.
Such bodies as the US Embassy in Harare, Amnesty International and our own MP’s have made it abundantly clear that Zimbabwe is in the grip of several concurrent crises – political violence perpetrated by the ruling Zanu PF party, economic crisis, medical chaos caused by looting of funds and resources and judicial corruption which mainly favours the ruling elite and their looting/land grabbing.
Our question is “HOW, given the information below, are the Home Office, able to assert that those removed will be catered for or simply abused on arrival?” It would appear that the ruling Zanu PF have claimed that these removals will be helped on arrival. But the Home Office appear to have accepted this [false] promise at face value – whereas others are citing proven and regular abuses.
Below are web links to those body’s reports on the Zimbabwe crisis for your consideration. These are just a fraction of the evidence that the Home Office cannot seem to recognise. Appendix 1 has some direct quotes from these links.
The recent report published in 2021 on Human Rights by the United States Embassy in Zimbabwe makes ‘difficult’ reading in terms of the abuse that opposition members face and of injustices across many aspects of their constitution.https://zw.usembassy.gov/2020-human-rights-report-zimbabwe/
Hansard reports on all Government Debates, this is March 2021 yet still the Home Office is deaf to the evidence
https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/africa/zimbabwe/report-zimbabwe/
Amnesty International’s 2020 Report on Zimbabwe
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/06/zimbabwe-thousands-villagers-facing-eviction 6th March 2021 Human Rights Watch cites
mass evictions
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/zimbabwe-journalist-wins-award-for-exposing-corruption/2142796 12th February 2021 Journalist Exposes Endemic Corruption in Zimbabwe.
Prepared by the coordinating team for Zimbabwe Community appeal
Edgar Makuni - MDC A Coordinator, Southern Region 07776 970763
John Burke- ZHRO – 07886 801 609
Vimbai Mamombe - MDC A UK, 07594 346 814
Olive Ruzvidzo - MDC A Leicester, 07443 490259
Shamiso Moyo - MDC A Coventry, 07732753519
Leo Ndlovu - ZAPU European Coordinator 07771 449362
Lillian Nleya – ROHR Zimbabwe 07853 155 145
Vongayi Mufara - ROHR Zimbabwe Scotland 07309990505
Nicolate Gwati - ROHR Zimbabwe 07871849489
Davidson Sedze - MDCA UK 07428118050
Yeukai Manhunzi - MDCA Slough 07824886092
Appendix 1
Recent
Zimbabwe News and Developing Crisis.
By U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe on 31st
March 2021 Topics: Human Rights, News, Press Releases, Reports, U.S. &
Zimbabwe
https://zw.usembassy.gov/2020-human-rights-report-zimbabwe/
“Despite incremental improvements from past elections, domestic and international observers noted serious concerns and called for further reforms necessary to meet regional and international standards for democratic elections. Numerous factors contributed to a flawed overall election process, including: the Zimbabwe Election Commission’s lack of independence; heavily biased state media favoring the ruling party; voter intimidation; unconstitutional influence of tribal leaders; disenfranchisement of alien and diaspora voters; failure to provide a preliminary voters roll in electronic format; politicization of food aid; security services’ excessive use of force; and lack of precision and transparency around the release of election results.”
“Significant human rights issues included: unlawful or arbitrary killings of civilians by security forces; torture and arbitrary detention by security forces; cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; political prisoners or detainees; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; serious government restrictions on free expression, press, and the internet, including violence, threats of violence, or unjustified arrests or prosecutions against journalists, censorship, site blocking, and the existence of criminal libel laws; substantial interference with the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of association; restrictions on freedom of movement; restrictions on political participation; widespread acts of corruption; lack of investigation of and accountability for violence against women; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting women and girls, and the existence of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although not enforced.”
“Impunity remained a problem. The government took very few steps to identify or investigate officials who committed human rights abuses, and there were no reported arrests or prosecutions of such persons.”
“Human rights groups reported government agents continued to perpetrate physical and psychological torture on labor leaders and opposition party members during abductions. Reported torture methods included sexual assault; beating victims with sticks, clubs, cables, gun butts, and sjamboks (a heavy whip); falanga (beating the soles of the feet); forced consumption of human excrement; and oral chemical poisoning, as well as pouring corrosive substances on exposed skin.”
“According to NGOs, food shortages were widespread in prisons but not life threatening. Prisoners identified as malnourished received additional meals. The harvest of prison farm products provided meals for prisoners. Protein was in short supply, particularly meat. Prisoners’ access to clean water varied by prison. NGOs worked with prisons to provide enhanced water-collection systems.”
“Diarrhea was prevalent in most prisons. Diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS-related illnesses were highest in those with the poorest conditions. Lighting and ventilation were inadequate. There were insufficient mattresses, blankets, warm clothing, sanitary supplies, and hygiene products.”
“Judicial corruption was widespread, extending beyond magistrates and judges. For example, NGOs reported senior government officials undermined judicial independence, including by giving homes, farms, and agricultural machinery to judges.”
“The constitution provides for the right to a fair and public trial, but political pressure and corruption frequently compromised this right. By law defendants enjoy a presumption of innocence, although courts did not always respect this right.”
“There were reports of individuals arrested for political reasons, including opposition party officials, their supporters, NGO workers, journalists, civil society activists, and labor leaders. Authorities sometimes detained such individuals for one or two days and released them without charge. Political prisoners and detainees did not receive the same standard of treatment as other prisoners or detainees, and prison authorities arbitrarily denied visitor access to political prisoners. There were reports police beat and physically abused political and civil society activists while they were in detention.”
https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2021-03-16/debates/E3C886CF-2F86-48DA-9F8F-9930CFA43088/ZimbabweHumanRightsAbuses
Hansard reports on all Government Debates, this is March 2021 yet still the Home Office is deaf to the evidence
https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/africa/zimbabwe/report-zimbabwe/
Amnesty International’s 2020 Report on Zimbabwe
“The authorities used COVID-19 regulations to justify severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. They deployed security forces to abduct, assault and torture perceived critics, and opposition members and leaders. Police and security agents killed at least 10 people. Women were denied access to essential maternal health care, and violence against women and girls was widespread.”
“A joint team comprised of agents of the police, military, the Central Intelligence Organisation, and the Office of the President, known as the “Ferret Team”, terrorized government critics, opposition leaders and activists, and their family members. Many, including several members of the main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance (MDC-A), were abducted from police custody, tortured and dumped far from their homes.”
6th March 2021 Human Rights Watch cites
mass evictions
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/06/zimbabwe-thousands-villagers-facing-eviction
“(Johannesburg) – The Zimbabwe government is evicting thousands of people
from an indigenous minority group from their communal land, Human Rights Watch
said today. The order affects more than 13,000 people of the Shangani
minority.”
“On February 26, 2021, the Local Government, Urban and Rural development
Minister, July Moyo, published a legal notice ordering thousands of people
occupying approximately 12,940 hectares of Chilonga communal land in Chiredzi,
southeastern Zimbabwe, to leave immediately unless they acquire fresh rights of
use or occupation to that land. The legal notice, Statutory Instrument 50 of
2021, said the land was being set aside for lucerne grass production – farming
grass for stockfeed.”
““The Zimbabwean government should stop these evictions that ignore the
rights of indigenous communities and would leave thousands of people destitute
and vulnerable – particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic,”” said Dewa Mavhinga,
Southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “”The government should ensure
that any eviction process is carried out only when it is strictly necessary,
and follows due process, adequate prior consultation with those affected,
adequate compensation, and provision of alternative land.””
12th February 2021 Journalist Exposes
endemic Corruption in Zimbabwe.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/zimbabwe-journalist-wins-award-for-exposing-corruption/2142796
Hopewell Chin’ono, a top Zimbabwean journalist, has been honored with a
media award following his reporting last year which unearthed a corruption
scandal concerning the government’s procurement of COVID-19 material.
Chin’ono’s story led to the firing of the southern African country’s then
Health Minister Obadiah Moyo who was implicated in the scandal.
The prize is dubbed the People Journalist for Informed Community 2020
Award.
The Nigerian scribe was awarded for his story on the “draconian”
Infectious Diseases Bill under consideration by Nigeria’s House of
Representatives during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Soon after receiving the news, Chin’ono said: “I feel humbled to be a
recipient of such an important continental award conferred by Africans.”
“I would like to thank journalists who assisted me in piecing the stories
together, and the citizens who provided vital information,” the journalist said
on Twitter.
Recently released from jail on bail following accusations that he wrongly
tweeted about a police officer who allegedly killed a child while enforcing
lockdown regulations, Chin’ono is famed for regularly taking to Twitter,
exposing the Zimbabwean regime’s corruption scandals.
He was arrested three times in last six months.
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