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Botswana deports Zvayi
Radio VOP
August 08, 2008

http://www.radiovop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3474&Itemid=755

Botswana on Friday deported a fierce henchman of President Robert Mugabe's regime, Ceasar Zvayi, the former political editor of the state-run Herald newspaper who had taken up a lecturing post at the University of Botswana.

Zvayi was recently added to the United States and European Union sanctions list.

NewZimbabwe reports indicate that Zvayi was served with a deportation order and driven to the Plumtree border post where he was deported on Friday.

"Munyaradzi Huni, the political editor of the Herald's sister paper, the Sunday Mail, said by telephone from Harare that Zvayi had been declared a prohibited immigrant and thrown out of Zimbabwe's western neighbour,' said NewZimbabwe.

"They were taking him to the border. He should be home soon, but I don't have much detail about his movements at this time," said Huni.

Zvayi last week said he would not apologise for supporting Zanu PF as he subscribes to its Pan African values, adding that he would never support the (Movement for Democratic Change) MDC as currently it is constituted, describing it as a counter-revolutionary Trojan horse that is working with outsiders to subvert the logical conclusion of the Zimbabwean revolution."

"Being at UB does not mean I stop being a Zimbabwean, supporting Zanu PF has no bearing on my qualifications as a journalist or competence as a media practitioner. The maliciousness and childishness of this campaign (to have him deported) is testimony to the fickleness of the people behind it who apparently believe universities employ people on political grounds.

They need only look at the University of Zimbabwe today, whose Chancellor is President Mugabe, but which employs vocal MDC office holders, sympathizers and activists like Dr. Lovemore Madhuku, Dr. John Makumbe, and Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, among others." said Zvayi.

Botswana has been Zimbabwe's leading regional critic after President Robert Mugabe won a controversial sixth term on June 27 in an election widely condemned as a farce. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai boycotted the poll, accusing Mugabe of using a campaign of violence to stay in power.

Just last week, Botswana threatened to boycott an August 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit in South Africa if President Mugabe attends.

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