Moses Madyira

CHIKOMBA – Thirty-eight (38) Malawian immigrants on their way to South Africa where they would be economic refugees ran out of luck after they were arrested by Chivhu CID.
They now languish at Chivhu Prison after Chivhu Provincial Magistrate Sharon Nxongo sentenced them to four months in prison on condition they don’t commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Zimbabwe, unlike most of its neighbours like South Africa, does not have holding facilities for immigrants awaiting deportation. Immigrants are kept in prisons together with some dangerous convicts.
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission said it was a human rights violation to lock up immigrants in prisons together with convicts.
Their crime is to enter Zimbabwe without a permit and they are charged under Section 29(1) (a) ARW Section 29 (2a) of the immigration Act Chapter 4: 02 for being an alien, enter, or remain in Zimbabwe without a permit.
They were intercepted at Featherstone while travelling in a bus and they now await deportation arrangements that will involve Malawi Embassy in Harare.
In court, they pleaded with the magistrate to let them go since they had no intention to remain or stay in Zimbabwe. They said they were only passing through Zimbabwe en-route to South Africa to look for employment.
Zimbabwe, unlike most of its neighbours like South Africa, does not have holding facilities for immigrants awaiting deportation. The immigrants are kept in prisons together with some dangerous convicts. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission said it was a human rights violation to lock up immigrants in prisons together with convicts.
Taonga Masaire prosecuted for the state.