Zimbabweans are working on establishing a movement to defend abused countrymen working and residing in the diaspora.
The proposal to set up a movement is informed by the need to protect Zimbabweans against their ill-treatment as foreigners in the diaspora.
This came out clear on the Africa 54 hot seat platform where one of the initiators of this movement, Mr. Hosiah Muviringi took the opportunity to share what the movement is all about and how it seeks to reach out to the squeezed n vulnerable Zimbabweans scattered world over.
” Zimbabweans deserves human treatment wherever they are whether they are in those countries legally or illegal. The host government must protect the Zimbabweans from inhumane treatment. Zimbabweans for example in South Africa are equally contributing to the development of this nation mainly through labour.
“it is unheard of to have our people treated like dogs, neglected of social protection and to some extent being tortured and butchered under Xenophobia. As things stand, we have a fellow young woman who is groaning from the hospital bed in one South African hospital, suffering physical and emotional abuse from health workers in a fresh pandemic we can call medical Xenophobia. Our attention is drawn there to quickly rescue the woman and very soon you will see us on Television exposing the evil.”
According to Mr. Muviringi, this is no exceptional case. Many other similar and or worse situations are happening.
The audience which comprised of both local and international experts expressed interest but also raised key issues and concerns over how this critical and yet sensitive agenda will be administered; taking into account the diplomatic ties within nations and the demand of this critical hand particularly to the ordinary Zimbabweans foreign land.
“These are some of the true untold stories which are affecting our people every day. We are not worried about the so-called flashback from those host nations. We are already victims. No one is ready to listen to the plight of the suffering sons and daughters of our motherland. We have to take up the fight. It is not going to be an easy revolution but collectively we will achieve it. Zimbabweans deserve to be treated with dignity and respect despite the challenges facing our country. That does not make us less important humans,” he said in response to a posed question on whether or not he was not afraid of the flashback from the host governments.
The highly charged interview gave an opportunity for many Zimbabweans to respond in a desperate need to have such an establishment reach them. Many kept on asking the roadmap ahead resembling the high demand of this voice in dealing with the plight of fellow cadres scattered across the face of the world and mainly in South Africa.
The publication made efforts to get the comments of Mr.Frederick Shava, Zimbabwe’s foreign affairs minister and the South Africa ambassador to Zimbabwe but had not received any by the time of going to print.