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Does a Zimbabwe farm invader get refugee status?

http://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2012/07/05/from-zimbabwean-farm-invasions-to-refugee-status/

July 5, 2012 by Rosalind English

SK (Zimbabwe) v Secretary of State for the Home Office 19 June 2012 – read judgment

This case raises the interesting question whether someone who was involved as a member of the ruling Zimbabwe Zanu PF party with farm invasions can be eligible for refugee status. The answer is a definite no: the High Court held that the Upper Tribunal had been entirely correct in finding that a Zimbabwean national, who had beaten farm workers in farm invasions intended to drive farmers and farm workers away from their farms, had committed inhumane acts amounting to crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute art.7(1)(k) and therefore by virtue of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 (United Nations) art.1F(a) was excluded from refugee status.

Background Facts

The appellant was a Zimbabwean asylum seeker. She had been actively involved with Zanu PF mobs in two farm invasions, shortly after which she was raped by another member of the youth militia. It was this rape which had led to her leaving Zimbabwe for England, after eleven months in the militia.

Zimbabwe should do more to protect children's rights

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

Sunday, 08 July 2012 11:54

Tonderayi Matonho

The recent pronouncements by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi
Pillay, that Zimbabwe needs to do more in protecting children through a
violence-free environment, is profound. The current social, economic and
political relations do not benefit but destroy children’s prospects as
leaders in their own right. Pieces of legislation and policy should be
crafted that deal with issues of past atrocities as these have a negative
effect on the growth of children in this country.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is also on record saying mechanisms should
be put in place to create a database of all the victims of political
violence, especially children and women. These processes will enable the
creation of the rightful place of children in the socio-economic and
political development policy across diverse sectors of society.

Cases that have a direct and an indirect bearing on the growth of children
abound in this country. Gukurahundi refers to the armed disturbances that
rocked parts of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the 1980s. There are
reports of people who struggled to get birth certificates because both
parents died during this sad period.

Politically-motivated violence and the chaotic farm invasions in the last
decade or so have had their debilitating effects on the well-being of
children across the country. Child experts say that those in the margins of
society are also on the margins of justice. This is the case for children
more than any other group in society.

Youths encouraged to vote

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

Sunday, 08 July 2012 11:26

BY OUR STAFF
A campaign to mobilise thousands of youths to register as voters and
participate in the next elections has been launched.

Its target is to encourage young people to re-assert their strategic
position as political game changers.

The campaign, dubbed “X1G”, is a non-partisan initiative aimed at educating,
motivating and encouraging youths to effectively participate in the
electoral process. It is being coordinated by the Election Resource Centre
(ERC) in collaboration with a consortium of 10 youth organisations.

ERC director, Tawanda Chimhini, said the campaign was being launched after
the realisation that the majority of youths in the country had lack of
interest in the electoral process.

“Less than 34% of the registered voters are youths below 35 years of age,
yet demographic details shows that they constitute more than 50% of the
total population,” he said at the launch of the campaign on Friday.

Chimhini said despite numerous challenges they were facing, the youths now
sought to become registered voters and ultimately the key deciders of any
prevailing government.

Jabulani Sibanda terrorises Zaka

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

Written by Wendy Muperi, Staff Writer
Sunday, 08 July 2012 14:22

MASVINGO - Villagers in Zaka told Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday
that war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda was terrorising them again ahead
of crucial polls set for next year.

Sibanda was in Masvingo on a Zanu PF campaign programme dubbed “Operation
Kubudirana Pachena”.

Sibanda has been threatening MDC supporters with death if they continue
supporting the former opposition movement.

Zaka’s four constituencies are under MDC.

He has since left Masvingo, although he religiously pays a visit to the
province for an indoctrination of the grassroots in Zanu PF propaganda.

Tsvangirai, who was in Masvingo Province to assess Constituency Development
Fund projects — an initiative brought about by the inclusive government to
enable legislators to embark on developmental projects.

Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson said his boss was taking
complaints from villagers seriously.

“The PM received reports that the community was now living in fear following
the recent visit by Jabulani Sibanda. People now live in fear for their
lives,” Tamborinyoka told the Daily News on Sunday.

Tsvangirai told the villagers to desist from violence and live in harmony.

He appealed to all political parties to live and deal with each other in
harmony irrespective of their political ideologies.

“PM Tsvangirai called on the different party leadership of Zaka to co-exist
in peace and allow every political party to hold its rallies freely without
interference,” Tamborinyoka said.

US to provide ARVs to 140,000 patients

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

05/07/2012 00:00:00
by NewZiana

The United States will this year increase funding for HIV/AIDS programmes in
Zimbabwe, outgoing US ambassador Charles Ray has said.

The US HIV/AIDS programme is currently supporting 80,000 Zimbabweans through
provision of anti-retroviral drugs, and Ray said the number of beneficiaries
will increase to 140,000 this year.

Ambassador Ray said another 40,000 new patients will be added to the
programme next year.

"I am proud to say that this number will increase in 2012 to a total of
140,000 patients on ARVs. And our plan is to add another 40,000 new patients
in 2013," he said.

The US government is also partnering Zimbabwe to fight against malaria and
other communicable diseases, as well as building the management skills of
health professionals.

The pledge by the US comes at a time when at least 66,000 people living with
HIV face the prospect of losing their current access to lifesaving
antiretroviral (ARV) treatment because of lack of funding.

ZEF Letter to His Excellency J Zuma

News

Does a Zimbabwe farm invader get refugee status?

Zimbabwe should do more to protect children's rights

Youths encouraged to vote

Jabulani Sibanda terrorises Zaka

US to provide ARVs to 140,000 patients

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