Detention Watch from Zimbabwe Association

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Tel/Fax: 02380 879675
General: 07714736382
P O Box 248, Hythe, SO45 4WX, United Kingdom

LONDON - Welcome news received last Saturday is that the Court of Appeal has granted AA permission to appeal. The court directed that the appeal should be heard "if possible this term [which ends on 19 December]". The suspension on forced returns will continue until the outcome of AA's appeal is known. For those of you who have been dreading going to report, there should be little danger of being detained until AA’s appeal has been heard.
While many Zimbabweans can breathe more easily we were distressed to learn that one man was detained when going to report last Friday and is now facing removal to Malawi. Zimbabweans who have travelled on other passports such as South African or Malawian passports are in a different category to most Zimbabweans unless the Home Office has accepted that they are Zimbabwean.
At the end of a tiring day of waiting at Yarls Wood Hearing Centre we were delighted to witness bail being granted to two ladies who have been in detention for a very long time. To see the slow smile spreading all over L’s face was a sight to behold and something to warm the heart for many a day. Equally moving was poor D, who collapsed sobbing with the relief of knowing that she was getting out. Our tributes to all their friends and relatives who made long journeys and patiently submitted to intensive questioning by the Home Office representative before they were accepted as being suitable sureties.
What was disturbing about the day was watching a representative from the Home Office smoothly claiming to the judge that removals to Zimbabwe were ongoing. It took timely intervention from friendly lawyers to get a letter to the judge disproving this assertion in the case of failed asylum seekers. Without the letter those ladies would still be in detention. We hope they had a great weekend! Four Zimbabweans known to us were released from detention during the week so that’s something positive to ponder on.
ZA members participated in The Way Forward meeting later the same day and we understand it was a successful and positive occasion. The following day saw us going to hear Lovemore Matombo speak at the Actsa event in support of the ZCTU at Congress House, along with so many others. It was interesting to hear from some speakers (whose own families had suffered colonial oppression) how very difficult it had been for them and so many left-leaning people to stop viewing Mugabe as the hero he once was, and to see him as the oppressive dictator he had become.
We can be contacted at the office on 020 7549 0355 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, messages may be left on the answer machine at other times, or by fax 020 7549 0356 or email: zimbabweassociation@yahoo.co.uk. We also have a website at www.zimbabweassociation.org