Zimbabwe opposition leader Herbert Chamuka has castigated South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa over deportations of African migrants in the country.
According to Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe chairperson Peter Mutasa, South Africa has deported or arrested 89 000 Zimbabwe in the last three months.
Chamuka said that most of the people who were being deported were economic refugees fleeing the mismanagement of Zimbabwe by the Mnangagwa regime.
“Zimbabwe’s issues can be traced back to African Union, SADC and South Africa. They have failed to take action in Zimbabwe that is why there are many people fleeing the country,” he said.
Chamuka said given an option people from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and DRC do not want to live in South Africa but they are forced by circumstances.
“South Africa is not a place to stay. Infact the country is dangerous- there is a lot of crime, drugs and violence. It is one of the countries which is not safe but people are forced by circumstances to live here,” he said.
South Africa is home to many people fleeing civil strife and wars from Somalia, Ethiopia, DRC and other countries and Chamuka said it was disheartening to note that these people are being deported.
There are people with genuine concerns but they are being deported without hearing their side of the story,” he said.
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“We have been talking about these issues as labour, as human rights activists that SADC and AU have to take a progressive and practical position on Zimbabwe crisis, we have got a crisis,” he added.
Chamuka who is based in South Africa said what Ramaphosa was doing is against Nelson Mandela’s values of ‘Africa for Africans’.
“Ramaphosa is anti-Africans. We never witnessed this when Nelson Mandela was President,” he added.
