News / Africa
Botswana halts deportation of Namibians
07 Jan 2016 at 14:57hrs | Views
Over 928 Namibians refugees based at Dukwi camp who were due to be deported to their country were this week granted temporary reprieve by a Lobatse High Court.
The refugees who were to voluntarily return home last month, turned down the offer, citing fear of being tortured on their return.
They then launched an urgent application at the Lobatse High court, querying Botswana government's decision to revoke their status in the country.
In a court appearance with lasted till 7 p.m. on Monday, Acting Judge Jennifer Dube agreed that the matter was sufficiently urgent to be brought in on short notice.
Furthermore, until the 26th of February, when written reasons are submitted before court, government was ordered not to deport the Namibian refugees.
The court also ordered that the Namibians be availed with a copy of the tripartite commission report for the Go and See, Come and Tell mission of July 2015.
The Go and See, Come and Tell mission was meant to give a delegation of the refugees to form an opinion of their resettlement in Namibia.
On the same date, the court will also determine the costs of the case.
The Namibians who have been in Botswana for 17 years, fled their home country following the aftermath of a failed attempt to secede the Caprivi Region (now Zambezi) from the rest of Namibia in August 1999.
Since last year, about two thousand refugees took up the voluntary repatriation offered to them and they have since gone back to Namibia.
Last month only a handful of the refugees were voluntarily repatriated.
The refugees who were to voluntarily return home last month, turned down the offer, citing fear of being tortured on their return.
They then launched an urgent application at the Lobatse High court, querying Botswana government's decision to revoke their status in the country.
In a court appearance with lasted till 7 p.m. on Monday, Acting Judge Jennifer Dube agreed that the matter was sufficiently urgent to be brought in on short notice.
Furthermore, until the 26th of February, when written reasons are submitted before court, government was ordered not to deport the Namibian refugees.
The Go and See, Come and Tell mission was meant to give a delegation of the refugees to form an opinion of their resettlement in Namibia.
On the same date, the court will also determine the costs of the case.
The Namibians who have been in Botswana for 17 years, fled their home country following the aftermath of a failed attempt to secede the Caprivi Region (now Zambezi) from the rest of Namibia in August 1999.
Since last year, about two thousand refugees took up the voluntary repatriation offered to them and they have since gone back to Namibia.
Last month only a handful of the refugees were voluntarily repatriated.
Source - The Voice
