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Joseph Madzimure

Senior Reporter

THE deportation of the first batch of 14 Zimbabweans from Britain signals a dawn of a new era in the history of relations between Zimbabwe and the former colonial power.

The frosty relationship between the two countries manifested after Zimbabwe embarked on the land reform exercise, which was one of the major grievances that propelled the First and the Second Chimurenga wars.

Britain responded by mobilising its allies within the European Union and imposed economic sanctions on the country.

However, the Second Republic, under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, has pledged to re-engage and engage with the rest of the world, including Britain, something that analysts said is bearing fruit.

Some analysts said the confirmation by Britain that the so-called asylum seekers actually had personal criminal intentions proves that the Second Republic is on course in telling the true Zimbabwean story.

Mr Alex Munyonga, a researcher and academic, said Britain has realised that hiding behind human rights abuses was a means of greasing the selfish and greedy ends of a few malcontents.

“Of interest is the fact that the first batch of these 14 deportees comprises the cultivar of citizens who fled Zimbabwe around the year 2000,” he said.

“The West, with Britain making the maiden move, is now realising that the bulk of the so-called human rights abuses were actually a ploy to insulate their criminal activities.

“Hiding behind human rights abuse was a means of greasing the selfish and greedy ends of these individuals. Taking the role of a Messiah, Britain embraced them and slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions as a punitive measure for purported gross human rights abuses.

“It is this injury that prompted Britain to paint Zimbabwe as a haven of gross human rights abuses. In the process Britain and other Western nations listened more to the voice of the asylum seekers while ignoring the correct voice of the Zimbabwean Government.” 

“It is heartening to note that through the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement agenda, the West is getting a true picture of the Zimbabwean story.

“They are speaking the same language with Zimbabwe and realising that they were at fault in accepting any asylum seeker as a victim of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Munyonga.

“Reality is now coming to the fore. It’s high time that common ground is found between Zimbabwe and Britain. The deportation is a plus to the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement agenda. 

“It should activate Zimbabwean citizens’ penetrative insights and the zeal to protect Zimbabwean integrity and socio-economic turnaround throughout.”

Britain, said Mr Munyonga, in the guise of being a Messiah and pious fellow with regards to human rights abuses, uncritically welcomed all asylum seekers.

Mr Munyonga said Britain has since come to the realisation that the bulk of the purported human rights victims are fraudsters.

“They are now getting a clear picture about the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement agenda,” he said. 

“The deportation is a strong affirmation of the fact that the rhetoric of gross human rights abuses need to be treated with caution, besieged so that the dross is separated from the alloy.”

Another political analyst Mr Collen Mharadzano said it is a critical open lesson to all Zimbabweans on the importance of upholding patriotism wherever they are domiciled.

“Being an expatriate elsewhere does not entitle one to besmirch one’s country of origin, it’s an important free lecture to all Zimbabweans who have often ridiculed their own country,” he said.

The Government ably led by President Mnangagwa has fared well in executing its mandate to protect and uphold the rights of its citizens wherever they are located in the world.

An anti-corruption activist and political analyst Mr Paddington Kadzungura said the deportation of Zimbabweans from the UK should be done on regular intervals because raw criminals have skipped the border after committing serious offences and have lied about political victimization.

Such people, he said, should be extradited back to their country of origin and international law is against the harbouring of criminals from foreign countries.

“So, the UK Government is doing the right thing and should continue to do so because the people who run away to such countries do so after committing such crimes like embezzlement and fraud of millions of dollars,” he said.

Under the Second Republic, Mr Kadzungura said Zimbabwe has entered a new era in both political and economic reforms and enormous input in terms of resource mobilisation is needed to complete the transformation.