Murambatsvina victims flooding into South Africa

By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 August 2005

Despite the fact that thousands more Zimbabweans have left home and crossed the Limpopo due to Operation Murambatsvina, the South Africa government continues to allow only 2 Zimbabweans a day to apply for legal status. The processing office in Johannesburg has been closed for months now so most have to make the expensive journey to Pretoria. Their lives become a game of hide-and-seek with the police.

Oliver Kubikwa of The Zimbabwe Political Victims Association said the new influx of victims of Operation Murambatsvina has been quite visible. He noticed that many had been gainfully employed individuals who lost everything and are looking to start over, down south. But according to Kubikwa there is no such luck in South Africa.

To explain just how serious the situation is Kubikwa said the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees in South Africa, Jan Groot, does not recognise that there is a problem in Zimbabwe. He is allegedly invited to many events that would help him understand more, but he does not attend. Operation Murambatsvina was condemned by the United Nations envoy Anna Tibaijuka in her report. Groot's attitude should reflect some sympathy.