GIN: 0in 0in 0pt”>PRETORIA – The mayor of Tshwane is set to spearhead an anti-xenophobia campaign in Olivinehotbosch west of the city where an attack on Zimbabweans on Christmas Eve left two dead.

Smangaliso Mkhatswa, the big man in South Africa’s capital, is set to lead a campaign against the discrimination and ill-treatment of foreigners in the area which is divided between RDP houses and a squatter camp.

Roll Back Xenophobia campaign Coordinator Katrina Mseme, said: “We will be educating people on how to leave with foreigners in harmony, we do this through education at schools and even churches.”

In Olivinehotbosch the residents had the backing of the police who never did anything to protect immigrants. The recent attacks were precipitated by rumours that a Zimbabwean had killed a South Africa which the law enforcement agents denied after investigating and arrested the true local culprit. – Own correspondent

Mugabe regime ‘Totally unacceptable’ – Tutu
CAPE TOWN – The regime of President Robert Mugabe is ‘totally unacceptable’ because of its gross human rights violations, South African Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu has said.
The retired Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town said he once “admired” Mugabe, who was at one time “the brightest star in the African firmament,” who had brought reconciliation and reconstruction to his country after the war that ended white minority rule.

“But something happened to him, because now he oversees something that is totally unacceptable. We, and all of Africa, should be prepared to say that violation of human rights is violation of human rights, whoever does it.”
Tutu said economic progress in Africa needed a just world economic order and good governance. “We have been our own worst enemies. Africa has had a succession of corrupt governments – though Mobutu and Savimbi were encouraged by the West. But we too have responsibility.”
Archbishop Tutu in an impassioned speech to the WCC Assembly called for united Christian witness. “A united church is no optional extra,” he said. It is “indispensable for the salvation of God’s world. We can be prosperous only together. We can survive only together. We can be human only together.” – Catholic Information Service for Africa

ZASG ‘faked’ rally

JOHANNESBURG – The Zimbabwe Action Support Group (ZASG) has once again come under heavy criticism from the public and the MDC national executive, who have accused it of operating clandestinely in an unethical manner.

MDC National Chairman, Isaac Matongo, said the organisation had misled the nation and the SADC region that it had a public following, yet it was being run by one man.

The ZASG is embroiled in numerous cases of faking meetings as well as hosting ghost rallies in Mozambique.

“We no longer need these support groups as from now. If I may ask, what are they for in the first place? We need to set out MDC proper structures, revive them and make them more functional. Before I leave for Harare, I have to destroy all the party structures allegedly created by Welshman Ncube. The party’s secretary-general does not create structures, only the chairman,” said Matongo to the applause of Zimbabweans in the diaspora in South Africa.

Some three weeks ago, the ZASG allegedly faked a rally in Mozambique but apparently the leaders who read the speeches were never in Maputo.

The group’s spokesman, Rodgers Mudarikwa, confirmed to CAJ News that he did not go to Mozambique.

CAJ News Bureau Chief for Mozambique, Fernando Ferreira, who went to cover the so-called rally discovered that there was never such a meeting in Maputo as claimed by Mudarikwa. Confronted with this evidence, Mudarikwa later said: “someone read the speech on my behalf and that person was me.”- CAJ News.

Chaos at Marabastad continues

BY MAGUGU NYATHI

PRETORIA – Tanzanians seeking asylum papers at Marabastad refugee reception office are currently under suspension for allegedly attacking and assaulting Zimbabweans so as to manipulate the queue.

Zimbabweans have been facing attacks almost everyday at the Home Affairs Refugee’ offices from Tanzanians who already have the section 22 act permits in order to assist their fellow countrymen to avoid the long queues.

“Usually at around four in the morning Tanzanians armed with iron sticks and stones attack unsuspecting Zimbabweans and push them out of the queue to accommodate their fellow countrymen for a fee of from R150 to R400. I was the first in the queue but I have been pushed to the end,” said Tafadzwa Mlilo.

Most victims are not keen to talk to the press, for fear of victimisation by reception officials.

“All what we want is to have access to the offices and obtain the section 22 permit, talking to the press doesn’t assist us. A lot has been written and said about our plight but every day we are faced by the same predicament,” fumed Celani Nyathi.

Gabriel Shumba, a lawyer for human rights, condemned the attacks saying: “This really shows that foreigners are not being protected and people will be killed at the refugees’ offices if the South African government does not act immediately.”

Commenting on behalf of the Director for the reception office an official who is affectionately known as Z said: “Tanzanians are not being attended to due to their unruly behaviour and until they show some reformation we will ignore them.”

Police communications officer for Pretoria central, Captain P M Jansen, promised to bring culprits to book although she admitted that no report or arrests had been made.

Meanwhile at Rosettenville Refugees Reception offices, though the office has been opened to public, nothing has been done to improve the facilities. The place is still not conducive for human service. A basement is still used as an office where prospective asylum seekers are crammed the whole day with only a few being served each Saturday.

Some asylum seekers, who have been holding Section 22 permits for the past two to five years, are either not interviewed or are interviewed and denied refugee status and left to fight their cases with the Appeals Board, which takes ages to determine a case.

Zim teachers exploited

JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwe teachers who fled the country because of political persecution and economic mismanagement are being under-paid and ill-treated by South Africa private colleges.

The teachers are made to work for long hours even during the night and are only paid R300 per month. This has forced many Zimbabwe teachers to shift from

their profession and look for general hand jobs which pay approximately R500 per month, says the Progressive Teachers of Zimbabwe Association in South Africa.

“Some teachers have no option as the South African government does not recruit teachers from Zimbabwe despite the shortage of skilled teachers in government schools here. We have experienced and highly qualified teachers with Masters Degrees who are now security guards or doing other menial jobs. The highest paid teacher in private schools is around R2500-R3000,” said a spokesman for the organisation. – From Trust Matsilele

Lawyers take on private industry over refugees

JOHANNESBURG – Lawyers for human rights are set to take the private security industry to court later this month over their refusal to grant refugees and asylum seekers permission to be registered as security guards.

At a recent meeting attended by civic society organizations dealing with refugee cases such as Southern Africa Women Institute of Migration Affairs, Lawyers for Human Rights and the Refugee and Migrant Rights Project, Advocate Jacob van Garderen said: “We will be taking the private security industry to court for their denial to register asylum seekers and refugees as security providers.”

Asylum seekers and refugees in South Africa suffer indirect discrimination at work where they are poorly paid or they are not paid at all.- Own correspondent

New coordinator for Crisis Coalition

JOHANNESBURG – Crisis Coalition Zimbabwe chairman,Wellington Chibhebhe, has called upon civic organizations in South Africa to be committed to the Zimbabwean cause and avoid petty confrontation.

Chibhebhe, who is also the Secretary General of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, made the remarks at the welcome reception for Reverend Nicholas Mukaronda, the new Coordinator for Crisis.

“We should not underestimate the forces we are fighting with and it would be naïve to think that we can push them out easily. We need to be committed and united to

the struggle and avoid squabbles,” said Chibhebhe

Mukaronda replaced Elinor Sisulu, who was strategically moved to the Media and Advocacy unit.

Zimbabwe Crisis Coordinator Jacob Mafume reiterated that the organisation condemned infighting in MDC and said Crisis would not hesitate to work with any progressive group.