Gamu turns to politics, lying blatantly about Zimbabwe

The News of the World reported at the weekend that 18-year-old Nhengu, like most asylum seekers in the UK, has lied that her life would be in danger if she was deported back to Zimbabwe.
The paper also carried pictures of her grandparents, Chipo Ngazana and husband Ananias, at their homestead outside Harare.
A sobbing Nhengu sensationally claimed: “A firing squad is waiting for us. I’ve been in the public eye now and people there know I’ve fled. They will punish us if we go back. They’re going to know where we are. We’re going to be very unsafe. People have already been approaching our family members.

“I would be in danger, it’s blatantly obvious. My family would be in danger. There’s a firing squad waiting for us there and they’re putting me in front of it.”
The teen singer begged show judges Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole to stop her family being returned to Zimbabwe in a visa row.
And she told last night how X Factor has wrecked her life, weeping: “If I hadn’t been on the show everything would be fine.”
Talking exclusively to the News of the World in the first interview since her shock exit, Gamu explained why she was convinced the Government would kill her family if they are forced to return to their native Zimbabwe.

“Just because I tried to do something that I wanted, that I loved.”
The UK Home Office refused to renew her mother Nokuthula Ngazana’s visa after she wrongly claimed state benefits. Nhengu and her half-brothers Milton (12) and Marty (10) are in Britain on the same visa and must also come back home.

Speaking from a top-secret location in Scotland where X Factor bosses are hiding her, she also told how she had not heard from her mentor Cole or boss Cowell since she was booted off the show at the Judges’ Houses stage.

That was three weeks ago, though viewers only saw her axed last week. She said sadly: “I have had no calls from Cheryl or from Simon. I haven’t spoken to any of the big producers either. But I hear that Simon’s lawyers are trying to help.”

More than 250 000 Facebook fans signed a petition to get her back on Saturday’s show as a wildcard entry. But X Factor bosses rejected that idea because of the visa issue.
“They thought there was going to be a problem. Nobody wants that kind of bad publicity on their show. It’s understandable.”
It was also revealed her mother has been in regular contact with the show’s bosses about the visa situation since mid-August. But when the Judges’ Houses episode was filmed last month, it was not seen to be a problem.

X Factor bosses only learnt much later about the accusations concerning her mother wrongly claiming £16 000 in benefits which resulted in the Home Office’s decision to deport them.
Millions of viewers were shocked last week when tearful Cheryl told Nhengu she had not been picked for the live finals stage — which began with an epic two-and-a-half hour show on Saturday night — despite her flawless performances.

Instead, the Girls Aloud beauty chose Cher Lloyd despite her tonsilitis and unpopular Katie Waissel, who both broke down during their songs, plus Liverpool mum Rebecca Ferguson.
“I just heard her say no and everything went blurry after that. I was absolutely shocked. I thought I’d really done myself justice. I thought I was a sure bet. I don’t want to be big-headed but after watching the previous shows I thought I would be through. I was devastated. It’s a hard thing to take. But I couldn’t be angry at Cheryl.”
Cheryl released a statement yesterday insisting the decision not to put her through was hers alone.

Gamu is now pinning her hopes on her mother’s lawyer winning a judicial review at the Court Of Sessions in Edinburgh to allow the family to stay.
Explaining her benefits claim, her mother insisted: “The Inland Revenue gave me the working tax and child tax credits. My accountant only suggested it because I was struggling and a low earner. Since 2002 I’d never applied for anything. I live in a private rental. I saved before I came over here.”

Gamu added: “My mum is being painted as someone who cheated with benefit fraud. It’s so unfair. I never went out until last year. Ever. There was never enough money. I always tried to keep it together but my best friends will tell you how hard it was for us. I made money by singing in a church choir.”

It also turned out that the singer would not get any help from British Government officials as claimed last week.
Most asylum seekers are on record as having lied that their lives would be in danger if they returned home, and Government officials have repeatedly said no one would face prosecution for coming back home as long as they were not fugitives of law.

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