Zimbabwe:South Africa denies Roy Bennett asylum

By Violet Gonda
24 May 2005

Opposition leader Roy Bennett has been denied asylum by South Africa in a move that is said to cast further doubt on Zimbabwe’s neighbour’s ability to be an honest broker in the country’s political impasse. Bennett said being denied asylum as an opposition official shows the duplicity of the South African government. “If they granted someone of my status refugee status here they will be openly admitting that there is a problem in Zimbabwe.”

Analysts say the ruling was clearly political as there is no debate that Bennett is a genuine asylum seeker. The former Chimanimani Member of Parliament for the Movement for Democratic Change has in the past 6 years been subjected to verbal threats directly from Robert Mugabe and arrested on spurious grounds. He was unjustly sentenced to a year in jail in October 2004 after pushing the Minister of Justice, Patrick Chinamasa, in parliament.

Chinamasa had made disparaging and insulting remarks in parliament about the former commercial farmer’s forefathers. He had also scoffed at court orders that had been awarded Bennett that should have seen his Chimanimani farm returned to him, after it had been illegally seized by the state.

The sentence was condemned by local and international human rights organisations.

Despite the inhuman treatment he suffered in prison the popular opposition leader emerged fearless in his struggle for justice for all Zimbabweans.

The victimisation campaign against Bennett finally led him to flee the country and seek asylum in South Africa in April, after the government implicated him in an alleged assassination attempt against Robert Mugabe in early March.

Eight suspects, including MDC MP Giles Mutsekwa, were arrested on allegations of plotting to assassinate Mugabe during his recent 82nd birthday celebration in Mutare. An arms cache was allegedly discovered at the home of Peter Michael Hitschmann. But all suspects except for Hitschmann were released after state prosecutors declined to proceed with the trial citing lack of incriminating evidence.

Political analysts viewed the plot allegations as a government attempt to silence growing discontent with Mugabe's regime.

In spite of the case being thrown out of court the authorities still said they were looking for “fugitive” Roy Bennett to answer questions about the coup plot, resulting in the MDC leader fleeing the country. Bennett said he decided to flee because he had been offered absolutely no protection from the rule of law. He said he chose South Africa because, “This is an African problem not a Western problem. South Africa is our neighbour and I have chosen to ask them for asylum in order to be able to continue my mandate for the people of Zimbabwe towards a better life.”

The victimisation has also seen Bennett’s farm workers at the receiving end of state brutality. Scores were left without a job after his farm in Chimanimani was illegally occupied by war veterans, the army and government officials. Several people were murdered at his farm and a number of women were also raped by Zanu PF sponsored thugs.

In a related issue, Roy Bennett said the eight people reported to be his ex-workers who had fled to South Africa and were denied asylum recently were not his employees. The opposition official told us that they were probably among the many Zimbabweans fleeing the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe who will use any information to get themselves refugee status in South Africa.

South African human rights lawyers will appeal on Bennett’s behalf. They say he deserves refugee status due to his documented harassment by the Zimbabwe government.

Meanwhile in Zimbabwe authorities are reported to have embarked on a witch-hunt for people perceived to be linked to Bennett in Manicaland – his home province. Two village headmen from Chimanimani appeared in traditional court on Saturday and were ordered to pay five head of cattle each after they were accused of supporting the MDC.

Vhaisai Munjoma and Fabion Musukutwa were accused of attending a rally that was addressed by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Mutare last month. They received a beast on behalf of Bennett who was honoured by the party’s provincial leadership at the rally. The traditional leaders have refused to pay the fine and have said they will contest the ruling in a legal court. They have also argued that traditional courts have no power to preside over political cases.