The move comes hard on the heels of the much-publicised deportation of Caesar Zvayi, former political editor of state controlled daily, The Herald, after his name was included on the list of Zimbabweans put on the travel sanctions of the European Union (EU), over the country’s deplorable human rights record and lack of democracy.
Information emerging this week shows that more Zimbabweans with links to some government officials have also been deported in recent days, as Botswana, which is strongly opposed to the leadership of President Robert Mugabe, continues to tighten the screws on the government.
Botswana leader Ian Khama last week boycotted a Southern African Development Community summit in South Africa, over Mugabe’s attendance, saying his country did not recognize his legitimacy following his “victory” in the one-man presidential run-off in June.
University of Botswana’s Faculty of Science, Agronomy and Animal Husbandry, is believed to have expelled four students who are close relatives to the ruling party ZANU-PF’s stalwarts, among them Didymus Mutasa (State Security Minister), Patrick Chinamasa (Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs) and outspoken war veteran Joseph Chinotimba.
“As students council, we will definitely do everything within our power in making sure that whoever is studying here and is linked to the ZANU-PF politburo members or government ministers under Mugabe’s illegitimate rule will be deported.
“We would want those students, ZANU-PF sympathisers, including relatives of the top elite, to be expelled. We cannot afford to tolerate leaders who hold the nation at ransom while their kith and kin are enjoying themselves abroad,” said Morgan Totengare, a representative of the students at University of Botswana.
It was not immediately clear which are other four people have been deported recently, but sources said such action had been taken against relatives of government officials.
Zvayi, who has been writing opinion articles and editorialising news stories in defence of the government, was sent back home together with Edmore Chijena, a pastor at Christ Embassy Church Botswana.
Zvayi had been offered a lecturing job at the University of Botswana’s Media Studies Department. He has now been taken back by The Herald as an assistant editor, after Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba described him as a new breed of national heroes.-CAJ News