News / International
Kenyan Airways refuses to fly diabetic Zimbabwean deportee from UK
17 Jan 2017 at 21:51hrs | Views
From left to right: Salom Nkiwane and Namatirai Angela SITHOLE hold the MaZimbabwean Yes We Can banner during the march against mass deportations in Brixton on Saturday 14/01/2017
The Zimbabwean community who lobbied the Kenyan Airways against participation in the deportation of a 55-year-old diabetic asylum seeker breathed a sigh of relief when their call was heeded by the airline.
They had demonstrated at the Kenyan High Commission, in Central London on Monday 09/01/17 and then went on to join the high profile march in Brixton on Saturday 14/01/17, organised by the Movement For Justice (MFJ) against mass deportations.
MaZimbabweans Yes We Can (MZYWCAN) and the MFJ had expressed their shock when news filtered at the march that one of their members, NM aged 55 years and diabetic, had been manhandled by 5 heavily built security agents from a private firm. NM was handcuffed and bundled into an awaiting secure van around 10:00 am.
She was taken to Heathrow, Terminal 4 for a 17:30 hours Kenyan flight KQ101, bound for Harare, Zimbabwe via Nairobi, Kenya but Kenyan Airways eventually refused to fly her.
One of the activists, David Kadzutu, said: "When I spoke to her when she was still at Heathrow airport in the secure van with her security details, NM was emotionally tearful and very thankful to God, to all those who phoned and are participating in protests against deportations."
"It is against this background of heavy-handedness by these private companies which the Zimbabwean Diaspora Movements like MZYWCAN, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisations (ZHRO), Restoration Of Human Rights (ROHR) are contemplating legal action against this unlawful treatment of their Zimbabwean counterparts and rampant violations of human rights."
The woman's treatment was paralleled with that of Angolan Jimmy Mubenga who lost consciousness on a flight after being heavily restrained by guards from G4S, a private security company.
They had demonstrated at the Kenyan High Commission, in Central London on Monday 09/01/17 and then went on to join the high profile march in Brixton on Saturday 14/01/17, organised by the Movement For Justice (MFJ) against mass deportations.
MaZimbabweans Yes We Can (MZYWCAN) and the MFJ had expressed their shock when news filtered at the march that one of their members, NM aged 55 years and diabetic, had been manhandled by 5 heavily built security agents from a private firm. NM was handcuffed and bundled into an awaiting secure van around 10:00 am.
One of the activists, David Kadzutu, said: "When I spoke to her when she was still at Heathrow airport in the secure van with her security details, NM was emotionally tearful and very thankful to God, to all those who phoned and are participating in protests against deportations."
"It is against this background of heavy-handedness by these private companies which the Zimbabwean Diaspora Movements like MZYWCAN, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisations (ZHRO), Restoration Of Human Rights (ROHR) are contemplating legal action against this unlawful treatment of their Zimbabwean counterparts and rampant violations of human rights."
The woman's treatment was paralleled with that of Angolan Jimmy Mubenga who lost consciousness on a flight after being heavily restrained by guards from G4S, a private security company.
Source - David Kadzutu
