THE Government has said the 137 people that have been
repatriated by Botswana through the Plumtree Border Post are not victims of
Gukurahundi but people who had probably gone to the neighbouring country to
look for employment as the facts do not add up to give the story the
post-independence narrative.
Commenting on the reports that the returnees fled the
country because of Gukurahundi, the Minister of Information, Publicity and
Broadcasting Services, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, said in an interview that people
should not use the Gukurahundi episode for political capital.
She said the fact that a number of the returnees have
confirmed to having left the country 15 years ago disqualifies it from being a
Gukurahundi story but essentially an economic one. She added that to give the
story a Gukurahundi narrative is a politically expedient way of apportioning
weight so as to gain sympathy from the international donor community.
“I have seen the report which allege that some people have
been living out of Zimbabwe for 15 years and this clearly has nothing to do
with Gukurahundi legacy,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said she fails to see how the number of years they have
been out of the country connects with Gukurahundi, unless that was stated for
political reasons which were not historically factual.
“As a country we have faced a number of challenges mainly
due to the impacts of illegal sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe. For
almost 20 years Zimbabwe has been isolated.
“There have been no meaningful investments, in fact there
has been disinvestment, most industries closed down leaving most of our people
unemployed.
“This triggered migration of our people seeking greener
pastures in our neighbouring countries and abroad. Some have made their lives
and families elsewhere but should they think of coming home, we will embrace
them because we all know home is best,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
The minister said that there were people trickling back
into the country speaks volumes on the success and sincerity of the engagement
and re-engagement efforts of the new political dispensation.
“The Second Republic in its engagement and re-engagement
efforts has not left out our diasporans. Zimbabwe is their home and they are
always welcome,” she added.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister
Cde Lovemore Matuke confirmed receiving reports of the returnees and echoed
Minister Mutsvangwa’s sentiments that they, like so many others went to
neighbouring countries under the weight of economic rather than political
challenges.
He said the ministry was going to assess their needs and if
need be start assisting them under vulnerable groups.
“We are going to assess their needs. If there is a need for
them to be treated as a special group we will do so and make sure they get the
assistance they require from the money allocated in the budget. They should not
lie about Gukurahundi to gain donor sympathy, we are going to help them the way
we are doing with everybody who is in need of assistance,” he said.
Cde Matuke said it was not a secret that a number of
economic refugees left the country under the guise of political asylum seekers
when in fact they were not threatened politically.
Reports say about 640 refugees are expected to be deported
back home with the 137 that have already arrived in Zimbabwe being the first
group of returnees. The returnees were provided with transport by the
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High
Commission on Refugees (UNHCR).
The Botswana government has reportedly given the refugees
an ultimatum to register for voluntary repatriation by 31 December or face
forced removals.
Reports suggest that Botswana believes the refugees will
not suffer any form of persecution by the present political administration
which is what precipitated its decision to return the refugees to Zimbabwe.
“The Botswana government is convinced that Zimbabwe is safe
for the so-called political refugees. The thawing relations between Harare and
Gaborone is on the mend following a change of administration in both countries
with sincerity and engagement seemingly being the hallmark of the two’s
political and economic route going forward,” said an official at the border.
Sunday News
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