Protest over treatment of Zimbabwe refugees by SA government

By Tichaona Sibanda
12 July 2005

The Southern African Women's Institute for Migration Affairs is to lodge a very strong protest with the South African government over the shocking treatment of Zimbabwean refugees at the notorious Lindela holding camp.

Scores of Zimbabweans have died and many more have fallen ill at the camp, described by Joyce Dube, a director of SAWIMA, as a 'death trap'

Two Zimbabweans died last week shortly before they were due to be deported back to Zimbabwe. A further 1000 were deported despite protesting heavily against the move.

Joyce Dube deplored the conditions at the camp, saying very few people come out of Lindela healthy. She said; 'It's notorious for its treatment of refugees facing repatriation. We've heard of the beatings and I can certainly confirm that many Zimbabweans have died in that camp.'

Joyce Dube's organisation is asking former refugees to come forward with any information or evidence they may use to build up a case against the authorities at the camp. Dube asked; 'How can you have just one doctor, who is not even present most of the time, to run a clinic for over 5000 people with help from one nurse? This is atrocious, murderous and madness.'

She also blamed African leaders for the situation most Zimbabweans find themselves in, especially leaders in Southern Africa. Thousands of Zimbabweans, she said, are running away from Mugabe's tyranny and yet not even one African leader is concerned about the welfare of those fleeing persecution by the regime.