A group of South African youth leaders were deported from Zimbabwe after trying to enter the country on a fact-finding mission, the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum (ZSF) said on Wednesday.
This was in spite of having spoken to Harare’s Youth Development Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and having informed the Zimbabwe High Commission in South Africa of their intended visit, read a statement.
The group included: the national secretary of the Young Communists League, Buti Manamela; Nduluza Gceba of the South African Youth Council; North West secretary of the South African Students’ Congress, Mothusi Tsineng; Congress of South African Students president Kenny Motshegoa; Tsholofelo Nakedi of the South African Non-Governmental Organisations’ Coalition; Lucian Segami of the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum; secretary general of the Young Christian Students Bheki Mcetywa; and Thoko Ntone of the Students Union for Christian Action.
”The main thrust of the visit was to familiarise the Progressive Youth Alliance with various interpretations of the current socio-economic and political situations in Zimbabwe, meet with the government, the ruling Zanu-PF, civil society and the opposition to gain a wide understanding of the present political situation in Zimbabwe,” read the statement.
The Young Communist League said in a statement that nothing warranted the Zimbabwean government to ”take this irrational decision because the delegation was not a threat to the Zimbabwean government and its people.
”It was a visit informed by getting a deeper understanding and appreciation of the different interpretations of the socio-economic crisis in the country.”
The ZSF added: ”This deportation comes against a backdrop in which students and youth of Zimbabwe have been severely affected by the wave of displacements associated with Operation Murambatsvina.
”This visit was an attempt to gain first-hand insights into the impact these events have had on youth and students.” — Sapa