Zimbabwean exiles in quandary pending forced return

Zimbabweans exiled in South Africa, Botswana and the United Kingdom, pending forced return to the country after noting an improved political situation, are in a quandary following revelations by a grouping of civic societies called Civic Society Monitoring Mechanism (CISOMM) that the country has not fully complied with the new Constitution, a necessary environment for its 'exiled 'citizens to return.

Scores of Zimbabweans earned themselves refugee status mainly in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Botswana after claiming to have fled the country due to political persecution in the past two decades, while millions more are staying undocumented in Botswana and South Africa.

Last week, Botswana Defence, Justice and Security minister, Ramadeluka Seretse, said after assessing the political situation in Zimbabwe, thousands of refugees sojourning in that country's Dukwi Refugee Camp would soon be repatriated back to Zimbabwe, while media reports in that country say the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has already resumed a voluntary repatriation programme.

Recently, South Africa has said it will not renew the four-year work permits of about 250 000 Zimbabweans living in that country that were dished out under the Zimbabwe Special Dispensation Programme (ZSDP) since 2010, with the reason that there would be an influx of permanent residency applications.

Three days ago, President Robert Mugabe revealed that the UK government has approached Zimbabwe to help return hundreds of political refugees in the kingdom back to Zimbabwe, a situation that might trigger international rejection of Zimbabweans' refugee status seeking political asylum.

According to a latest report by CISOMM focusing on 'monitoring and assessing the adherence to and implementation of the Interparty Political Agreement (IPA)', Zimbabwe has not constitutionally defaulted on five clusters namely, Economy and Development, Constitutional Reform Process, Political Transition and Justice, Institutional Transformation and Respect for Human Rights and Operating Environment.

In an interview with The Zimbabwe Mail,  Habakkuk Trust CEO Dumisani Nkomo said police disruption and banning of civic organisation meetings is a sign that freedom of assembly and association is infringed upon hence the situation is not yet conducive for exiled diasporans.

"We have a new Constitution but we are still to follow it. Police banning of a Bulawayo Agenda meeting and disruption of a National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) meeting recently is an infringement of the freedom of assemble and association," he said.

Kumbirai Mafunda a senior project officer-communications and information at Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said the 'persecution' of several Zimbabweans accused of being linked to an anonymous cyber-character Baba Jukwa is a sign that 'political persecution' still exists in the country.

"We cannot say the political and economic situation in the country is safe for people to return to Zimbabwe because we note that there is still political persecution and we cannot guarantee human rights," he said.

"For example, several people, especially in the diaspora are still being persecuted for being Baba Jukwa and their return into the country might endanger their security."

Migrant Workers Association of South Africa, Butholezwe Nyathi said Zimbabwe is a 'refugee protected' country in the world and that most Sadc countries consider political and economic refugees from the Zimbabwe to be genuine.

"Political and economic refugees from Zimbabwe are protected in Southern Africa and the world over because of the situation in the country.

"Asylum provision is enshrined in almost every country's constitution according to international statutes as prescribed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, so it will be unfair to start deporting asylum seekers," he said.