WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2002-05-02 Posted By: Jan
From the News Archives of: WWW.AfricanCrisis.Org
Date & Time Posted: 5/2/2002 3:15:20 AM
Tortured Zimbabweans Flee to neighbouring countries
Daily News (Zim) (124)| May 1, 2002 (124)| Kelvin Jakachira recently in Windhoek, Namibia
HUNDREDS of Zimbabweans, including a 45- year-old blind man, have sought refuge in neighbouring countries after torture and death threats by war veterans and Zanu PF youths.
The victims have fled to refugee camps in Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Namibia
Cosmos Chanda, a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Botswana, said the blind man was among 53 Zimbabweans at Dukwe camp, north of Gaborone.
Chanda refused to name the man citing security concerns.
He said the man fled the country immediately after Zanu PF youths and war veterans embarked on a massive retribution exercise countrywide after the presidential election last month.
President Mugabe was re-elected amid allegations of fraud. Rampant intimidation and political violence marked the campaign period. His main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader, and the international community have rejected the result.
“The Zimbabweans who fled to Botswana have clear evidence of torture,” said Chanda. “They all looked very terrified when they came here.”
In an interview during a three-day workshop in Windhoek, attended by journalists from the Sadc region, Chanda said: “The victims had visible bruises all over their bodies.”
He said at least one Zimbabwean fled to Botswana every week.
“Most of the Zimbabweans who are here came after the presidential election,” he said.
In Namibia, two Zimbabweans have applied for refugee status after fleeing the terror.
One of them is staying at Osire refugee camp about 225km from Windhoek, while the whereabouts of the other are unknown.
The Zimbabwean, believed to be in his early 20s, was last seen at Osire camp last month, said a UNHCR official.
Another UNHCR official said the life of the Zimbabwean at the camp was under threat because of the close political relations between Zimbabwe and Namibia.
During a tour of Osire camp, this reporter saw a 24-year-old Zimbabwean who arrived in Namibia three weeks ago.
He said he had campaigned for the MDC in Mberengwa East during the presidential election.
He fled to Bulawayo after the CIO and war veterans threatened to kill him.
He said: “About eight men in an open truck approached me and tried to bundle me into their truck, but I escaped and hid in a secluded place in the city centre.”
The following day, he said, he fled to Botswana, then to Namibia. UNHCR officials in Namibia said disclosing the victim’s name would further endanger his life.
An official said two Angolan refugees had been kidnapped two years ago from the same camp after government forces were informed of their whereabouts.
“Mentioning the details of this young man may not be in his interest because we have an incident in which two Angolans were kidnapped and taken away from the camp,” said the official.
But Madga Medina, the UNHCR senior protection officer in Namibia, and Elizabeth Negumbo, the Namibian commissioner for refugees, insisted the safety of the Zimbabwean was guaranteed.
Osire camp has about 23 000 refugees mainly from Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Republic and Liberia.
“I will visit the camp on Tuesday to see him,” Negumbo said. “But if he feels unsafe he can say so and we will work with the UNHCR to transfer him to another country.”