Zimbabwe deports 5 South African student leaders at Harare Airport

By Lance Guma

13 September 2006

Five South African student leaders were deported at Harare International Airport on Wednesday amidst a countrywide crackdown by security forces trying to block labour union protests. Buti Manamela (Secretary General-Youth Communist League), Lucien Sengli (Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum), Solo Lakedi (Centre for the study of Violence and Reconciliation), Mothusi Meng and Kenny Motshega (Congress of South African Students) arrived on a 12:20 flight at Harare’s International Airport Wednesday.

Gift Phiri reporting from the capital says over 10 Central Intelligence Officials clad in black and grey suits, promptly whisked the delegation away, telling them they were prohibited immigrants. They were shuttled onto a 13:20 flight back to South Africa. Phiri who managed to speak to the student leaders says the immigration officials told them they were enemies of the state and not welcome in the country. The South African delegation however says they informed Deputy Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere of their trip and that it was for a 4-day learning journey in the country.

The Zimbabwean authorities however seem to have used this advance notice to set up the welcoming party at the airport. Protests planned by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions galvanised all the security forces into a state of high alert. Statements by the South African Communist Party that they would be sending a delegation to participate in the protests clearly meant the airport had already been marked by the security officials for close screening.