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Prominent civic leader Majongwe denied UK visa
Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa
September 11, 2006

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news110906/majonwe110906.htm

The Secretary General of the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has been denied a visa to travel to the United Kingdom by the British embassy in Harare. They said there was insufficient evidence that he would return to Zimbabwe. Raymond Majongwe confirmed what had happened, saying this was done "on what was called the balance of probabilities, that I might eventually abscond and disappear."

He had been invited to address an Open Forum discussion on the Zimbabwe crisis by the UK based Britain Zimbabwe Society, but had his application turned down on Friday. Two of his colleagues in the civic movement, Nicholas Mkaronda from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions official Thabitha Khumalo, were granted a visa. All three applications were sent in at the same time.

The forum is scheduled for September 16th.

Majongwe who said he was not bitter or sad about this decision said he is however surprised by this position taken by the British. He said; "What I want to ask is – on whose side are the British?"

He added; "I think this smacks of hypocrisy on the part of the British but I think they are entitled to their opinion and I will not challenge it."

The human rights activist has been at the receiving end of state sponsored abuse and it’s not known what criteria the British immigration authorities used to deny him a visa.

He has been arrested and attacked and even had his passport seized by the Mugabe regime but he has always stayed in Zimbabwe. He said he found it strange that he would be denied entry to the UK when he has been allowed to travel there before in 1992 at the invitation of the Queen and the Commonwealth. He also said he has travelled all over Europe and Africa but he will never leave Zimbabwe, whatever the cost or whatever the price.

Majongwe said; "There was even a time when I knew that the Zimbabwean government was going to confiscate my passport on the 16th December (2005), I still came back into Zimbabwe and my passport was taken. I did not intend to run away or abscond or seek political asylum."

There was no immediate comment from the British Embassy in Harare but Lois Davis of the Britain Zimbabwe Society said; "Whatever the reasons for the refusal of the visa it is very disappointing for us that a prominent civic leader from Zimbabwe has been barred from entering the UK to address this meeting."

Majongwe was going to deliver a keynote speech about the issues and challenges of the education sector and the Zimbabwe Diaspora and its dynamics. He said this would also have been an opportunity to interact with other Zimbabweans, many of them teachers who were "flushed out of the country" by the regime.

The activist said that as usual the state controlled media were quick to boast and reportedly ran an article saying Majongwe had been denied a visa to go and seek political asylum. He said; "I must make it absolutely clear that I don’t intend to run away from Zimbabwe, I will not run away from Zimbabwe whether killed, murdered or dissolved. I am a key factor in the future of this country."

Asked about the looming mass action organised by the ZCTU, the leader said the PTUZ is in full solidarity with the labour-led protests, as teachers were also suffering. Teachers earn between ZW$20 000 and ZW$40 000 way below the poverty datum line which is over ZW$90 000.

Majongwe urged people not to be intimidated by recent government threats against demonstrators. He said; "If the Minister of State Security Didymus Mutasa stands up and says they are going to shoot us I think they must prepare many body bags to shoot Zimbabweans who are going to go to the streets to say life has become unbearable!"

"We are ready to be killed on Wednesday. We are going ahead with the protests."

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