Double dealing Zimbabweans In Canada
FreeAfrica (July 26, 2006)
By: Thabo Siziba

It is amazing how whenever one speaks to a Zimbabwean in Canada, close to 7 in 10 will plead being victims of Mugabe’s regime, not wrongly so for some who have fled the suffering caused in that country, myself included, but the most ironical part of the whole fact is the disturbing engagements of friendship and understanding that some Zimbabweans in our Canadian communities have involved themselves in with the representatives of Zimbabwe’s regime in Ottawa.

For a greater majority of Zimbabweans, Canada has been home for at least five years. The greatest exodus was seen between the year 2000 and 2001 when Mugabe’s regime so commonly slaughtered, disfigured and maimed persons believed or suspected of being in opposition with the government’s views. Many of those who survived fled that country and sought refuge in whichever country they found comfort and the 1951 Geneva Convention for refugees, which is recognized by most of the world, protected them. To date, because of the still continuing human rights violations perpetrated by Zimbabwe’s Administration which have also largely contributed to isolations by most of the world, leading to what the United Nations has described as the worst catastrophe ever seen in any country outside of war, Zimbabwe’s population internally continues to decline rapidly. Large numbers of the country’s population continue to flee to other countries, a move which some western countries such as Canada and Britain have countered with the recent introduction of travelers’ Visas to reduce the influx of Zimbabwean citizens that were fleeing in large numbers to those countries. This move though was also explained to be partly a cause of maintaining proper control of the countries’ immigration and refugee systems where for example, cases of nationals not from Zimbabwe, posing as Zimbabweans were beginning to surface with forged documents and finding their way to the west.

Although in the first 2 or so years of establishment in Canada, checking from the year 2000, Zimbabweans maintained their distance in association with the Zimbabwean regime’s foreign representatives (the Embassy of Zimbabwe), it has now become common to see many gatherings organized by Zimbabwean nationals, being ‘elevated’ with the unethical invitation of Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Canada. One would then ask what solace Zimbabweans who claim to have fled persecution and torture at the hands of the monstrous Zimbabwe Zanu PF regime, would find by eating from the same plate at the same table with the devil’s representatives. In confrontations that I have personally engaged in with some Zimbabweans in Canada over this issue I have on several occasions been met with displeasure. People making excuses that they have invited the Ambassador solely outside of his political status. In some cases people have justified eating with the devil’s advocate as a necessary measure to gain favors and expedited or unquestioned services in cases of need for documents or renewals such as for passports. Well, whatever the excuse, I will remain a strong believer of the fact that indeed the apparent communities and organizers of such Zimbabwean community events where such people as the Ambassador of Zimbabwe are invited to are probably themselves fake victims of Zimbabwe’s real injustices. These are the kind of people that some of us may want to be careful of whilst in their company. We have had of the Zimbabwean regime’s possible possession of lists containing names of fled persons and/or refugees. Evidence has in the past and present shown a threat to be in existence for Zimbabweans denied refugee status by any country, who when returned to Zimbabwe have found State secret agents awaiting their explanation. One can only speculate where these secret police could be obtaining their information. In this regard we have also seen most of Europe and North America halt deportations or other removals of Zimbabwean nationals back to that country.

Zimbabweans, both in Zimbabwe and also in the diaspora need to begin understanding and realizing that Zimbabwe can never be free as long as people continue being double faced. The inconsistency of our beliefs against the Mugabe regime is hurting our country very much and what is happening today in a country that was once hailed a shining light of Africa’s development is very saddening and even hard to comprehend. Yet we continue to see citizens of that country who still hold on to the belief that maybe Zanu PF is going to change one day. How can the Zanu PF criminal structure dissolve or change for any better when even the fled and far victims of that regime continue seeking its help and support. Maybe we should be referring to “supposed victims” in such instances. Zanu PF cannot and will never be rehabilitated of its evilness and anyone with that belief needs to sleep again and have a fresh dream. This is an institution that has been a criminal organization from the time it assumed rule of the country in 1980 and today continues its trail of destruction. The consequences of what Zanu PF has done the Zimbabwe and its people are inevitable and the day of justice will soon be.

Recently the United Nations mentioned that Israel and Lebanon’s Hizbollah need to take heed of the fact that their bombardments of each other’s territories, killing unarmed civilians may constitute to war crimes, where so far Lebanon is reported to have lost at least 400 lives versus Israel which has lost at least 40 lives with most victims being injuries and lost properties.
Zanu PF engaged in war crimes and genocide that murdered thousands in the 1980s and today is engaging in crimes against humanity that have left hundreds of thousands homeless, fleeing, starving and dead. Yet the United Nations has not yet issued a warning to Zimbabwe’s Zanu PF perpetrators. My big question is, what does Zanu PF really have to do to attract the attention of the United Nations to the fact that it, Zanu PF is killing and making suffer, thousands of innocent civilians in Zimbabwe? Right now Zimbabweans die by age 37 and illness means death just as opposing the ruling Zanu PF does. All these facts put together, with Zanu PF at the helm of organizing, the United Nations is soon to see a nation drop to its knees before the world’s eyes just as happened in Rwanda, and then, maybe mercy will dwell upon their thoughts to stop the Zanu PF monsters.

“Finally a word of thought to Zimbabweans in Canada; don’t be two faced. If Mugabe’s representatives in Ottawa impress you, then by all means know you are just as good a criminal as the whole Mugabe mob itself”.