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"They are a crazy gang on a mission to spread falsehoods about their mother country. Everything is normal in Zimbabwe, and anyone who thinks otherwise should have his head examined."

said Didymus Mutasa, ZANU PF secretary for external affairs

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The full story :

From The Daily News, 8 September

Zimbabweans seek US shelter

By Farai Mutsaka, Chief Reporter

The United States’ State Department is considering an application by Zimbabweans living in the US for Temporary Protection Status, which would grant illegal immigrants immunity from deportation until Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis is resolved, the Daily News has established. The Association of Zimbabweans Based Abroad (AZBA), which was formed last month, wrote to the US State Department in August, indicating that it had become unsafe for Zimbabweans living abroad to return home. US Senator Raphael Feingold has also written to the US State Department endorsing AZBA’s request. "The association is requesting the US government to grant Temporary Protection Status to Zimbabweans who are at risk of experiencing severe hardship if forcibly returned to their country," a document sent to the State Department reads in part. "It is no secret that the current political climate is unsafe for many Zimbabweans living abroad," the document adds.

In his letter to US Secretary for Homeland Security Tom Ridge, Feingold said the political and economic conditions in Zimbabwe made it imperative for the US to grant the temporary protection status. The US senator said: "Presently, extraordinary conditions exist that prevent Zimbabweans from returning home in safety as required by the Temporary Protection Status statute. In addition, Zimbabwe cannot feed its population. Many of the Zimbabweans that have resisted Mugabe’s tyranny now reside in the United States and we should consider providing protection status for them." Feingold successfully campaigned in 2000 for the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, under which President Robert Mugabe and his government were slapped with travel and economic sanctions. In response to AZBA’s appeal, Scott Busby, the director of policy and resource planning in the State Department, last month assured AZBA that the US government was considering the petition. "The Department of State continues to monitor the conditions in Zimbabwe to determine whether they meet the specific statutory requirements for Temporary Protection Status. I can assure you that we will take your concerns into consideration," he wrote in a letter addressed to AZBA president Dumaphi Mema.

Temporary Protection Status may be granted if the US Attorney General finds that a foreign state is in the grip of ongoing armed conflict and that due to such conflict, "the return of aliens who are nationals of that state to that state, or part of that state, would pose a serious threat to their personal safety". While noting that no armed conflict exists in Zimbabwe, AZBA, however, noted that there exists a "prolonged state of open and hostile disharmony". The group said this "clash or conflict is characterised by the use of brutal, violent force by the government of Zimbabwe against the civilian population and opponents of the Mugabe regime". The government has denied such charges in the past. Temporary Protection Status can also be granted to a country that has experienced earthquakes, floods, drought, epidemics or other environmental disasters, resulting in the disruption of living conditions. AZBA notes that Zimbabwe has experienced floods and drought in the past five years and is in the grip of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Countries that have been granted Temporary Protection Status (TPS) in the past include Angola, Mozambique, Kosovo, Serbia and LIberia.

AZBA executive director Ralph Black told the Daily News yesterday that granting of the TPS would provide relief to many Zimbabwean illegal immigrants residing in the US. About 45 000 Zimbabweans are estimated to be living in the US. He said: "Many Zimbabweans here are desperate because if they are caught by the State Department, they will be deported. But if this status is granted, then it will take away the anxiety of being caught and they will also be authorised to work and complete their studies while fending for their families back home. We have also not been able to adequately lobby the US government on Zimbabwe because most people are afraid of coming out in the open because their papers are not in order." Movement for Democratic Change shadow minister for foreign affairs Moses Mzila-Ndlovu said the Zimbabweans’ appeal was justified. "These people are directly contributing to the economy because of the foreign currency that they send home. It would be unreasonable for the US government to repatriate them back home to face the kind of poverty we are facing right now. It is imperative that the US government grants Zimbabwe such status." But ZANU PF secretary for external affairs Didymus Mutasa said Zimbabweans abroad were out to spread lies about the conditions at home. He said: "They are a crazy gang on a mission to spread falsehoods about their mother country. Everything is normal in Zimbabwe, and anyone who thinks otherwise should have his head examined. They should not use silly excuses to stay in the US."

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John aka NitroX

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