Zimbabwe refugees evicted from church

By Tichaona Sibanda.
16 November 2006

A sombre mood prevailed at the Methodist church in central Johannesburg on Thursday as Zimbabwean refugees sheltering at the premises were being evicted. The mayor of Johannesburg Amos Masondo had given them an ultimatum that they should all leave the church premises by 12 midday Thursday.

Oliver Kubikwa from the Zimbabwe Political Victims Association ZIPOVA, said only about two dozen refugees remained inside the church by the time of the deadline. He said most of them were women still breastfeeding, with nowhere else to go. ‘They are still in the church with their little babies. They just don’t have anywhere else to go but all efforts are being made to find them alternative accommodation.’

There were over 100 refugees who were still under the care of the church when the notice of eviction was served on the group by the Johannesburg mayor. The group was part of a large contingent of about a thousand Zimbabweans who were temporarily sheltered at the church since last year.

But a growing resentment of the refugees within the church community has been on the rise over the last couple of months. On Sunday during a church service, elders threatened to cut the power supply, water and other essential services to the building. Some church members accused the refugees of being disobedient and violent. Other allegations claimed there was a lot of prostitution going on at the church, claims that were vehemently dismissed by the refugees as baseless and unfounded.

Many of the refugees had left the church as pressure grew within the community for them to be evicted following violent clashes in April that left two people dead.

Most of those who have left the premises said they had nowhere to go except to sleep outside. To make matters worse, the refugees still do not have any documentation to remain legally in South Africa. They now face the danger of being picked up by the police and sent back to Zimbabwe.

Kubikwa said it was depressing witnessing fellow Zimbabweans walking from a shelter to live in the open, when the South African government could have helped by granting them refugee status.