Plan for mass Zimbabwean deportations from SA and Botswana

By Tererai Karimakwenda
17 July, 2007

The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) report that they have conducted investigations into rumours of an alleged plan by the South African and Botswana governments to deport unprecedented numbers of Zimbabweans over the next few weeks. ZEF director Gabriel Shumba said they discovered the idea was the brainchild of the South Africa Police Service and the South Africa Defence Forces and is under consideration at the Ministry of Home Affairs where it was forwarded. Shumba explained that each country planned to deport 20,000 Zimbabweans every week, over the next few weeks, allegedly so that they can be registered to vote in the elections next year.

Code named Operation "Mugabe take your people" Shumba said there are allegations that at least 20 000 people would be deported in a weeks time. with about 20 coaches leaving for Zimbabwe from South Africa daily. Shumba said the ZEF is outraged at this plan and that it would violate South Africa’s own Refugee Act and the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. The group urged President Thabo Mbeki to focus more on dealing with the brutality being meted out by the Mugabe regime that has caused an estimated 5 million Zimbabweans to flee. He said deportations are like dealing with the symptom rather than solving the root problem.

Shumba was very critical of Thabo Mbeki’s approach to the Zimbabwe problem. As the SADC mandated mediator Shumba said Mbeki should desist from shielding Robert Mugabe’s human rights abuses and encourage the United Nations Security Council to intervene, using its responsibility to protect citizens. The human rights activist accused Mbeki of acting in favour of Mugabe. He said: “South Africa and Thabo Mbeki’s track record speaks for itself and there is no doubt he is biased in favour of Mugabe.”

A statement released by the ZEF on Tuesday said in part:
“Firstly, many exiled Zimbabweans fled in fear for their lives and are liable to not only persecution, but torture and possibly death if they are genuine asylum and refuge seekers in host countries. ZEF therefore shudders to imagine their fate upon arrival.” We were unable to get comment from the South Africa Home Affairs ministry.