News / National
South African national languishes in Zimbabwe jail
18 Sep 2014 at 08:40hrs | Views
A SOUTH AFRICAN national, Tercia Lenina Laban (30), who was arrested on September 3 and jailed at Shurugwi Prison on allegations of illegally entering the country, is reportedly still detained two weeks after a court ordered his deportation.
Laban's lawyer Innocent Hore said his client was found guilty of contravening the Immigration Act by the Gweru Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay a $60 fine before he could be deported.
"My client appeared in court on 5 September and was convicted and asked to pay a fine of $60 and be deported out of the country, but now authorities are failing to deport him because they are saying they have no fuel," Hore said.
"We are worried about his health and well-being given that Zimbabwean prison cells have the notoriety of failing to provide decent clothing and food to inmates.
"More so, they are now detaining a person who was never commuted to prison".
Hore told our sister paper NewsDay that Laban's relatives had offered immigration authorities fuel so their cousin could be deported and return to the safety of his country but the offer was spurned.
"They refused to take fuel offered by my clients saying they could only act after getting supplies from CMED, so he is still in cells and we are praying that he is released soon," Hore said.
Laban had a Zimbabwean identification card, suspected to have been fraudulently obtained.
Laban's lawyer Innocent Hore said his client was found guilty of contravening the Immigration Act by the Gweru Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay a $60 fine before he could be deported.
"My client appeared in court on 5 September and was convicted and asked to pay a fine of $60 and be deported out of the country, but now authorities are failing to deport him because they are saying they have no fuel," Hore said.
"We are worried about his health and well-being given that Zimbabwean prison cells have the notoriety of failing to provide decent clothing and food to inmates.
"More so, they are now detaining a person who was never commuted to prison".
Hore told our sister paper NewsDay that Laban's relatives had offered immigration authorities fuel so their cousin could be deported and return to the safety of his country but the offer was spurned.
"They refused to take fuel offered by my clients saying they could only act after getting supplies from CMED, so he is still in cells and we are praying that he is released soon," Hore said.
Laban had a Zimbabwean identification card, suspected to have been fraudulently obtained.
Source - Southern Eye
