The official stormed the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Zimbabwe (AMECZ) where 26 Congolese, fleeing political turmoil in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were staying alleging that they had illegally entered the country.
Reverend Amon Mthombeni of AMECZ confirmed the raid saying the immigration officials stormed the church in the middle of the night intending to arrest the DRC refugees.
The refugees, who included 16 minors, arrived in the country a fortnight ago stayed for three days at the Amakhosi Cultural Centre before moving to the AMECZ where they were being taken care of by charitable organisations.
“They (officials) said they want to send the minors to Mlondolozi prison and adults to other prisons in Bulawayo before deporting them to their country of origin,” said Rev Mthombeni. “There is no way as the church could have allowed them to do such a cruel thing. We told them to instead either shoot or arrest us for taking care of these people who are fleeing their country.”
Efforts to get a comment from assistant regional immigration officer for southern Region, Francis Mabika, were fruitless last week.But fearing the immigration would return, Rev Mthombeni said the church arranged with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to have the refugees to Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge, Manicaland.
Attempts to get a comment from the UNHCR were fruitless last week. Rev Mthombeni said the Congolese nationals did not want to leave the church fearing deportation.
“They were crying,” he said. “They looked dejected in the morning when they were informed that they are now being taken away. They thought they were being taken to prisons before being deported. We only had to console them with prayers.”
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— BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
