Meeting refugees in Botswana
Posted by Nxwala on March 12, 2010
Our blogger recently took a trip to Botswana to see how Zimbabwean refugees are faring there.
Refugees in different countries in Africa face similar problems to what we face here in South Africa. In South Africa, refugees have been faced by the problems of xenophobia, unlawful arrest and detention in various police stations and a repatriation centre called Lindela. Lindela is one of the biggest jails in South Africa, if not in Africa, that is supposed to hold eleven thousand people but the officials overcrowd it with fourteen thousand refugees. This is something that one cannot find in countries abroad. A recent study revealed that refugees in Britain, Canada and the United States of America receive better treatment than us in our mother continent Africa. Why do Africans treat their brothers and sisters in this manner?
Botswana, just like any other country in Africa, is faced with high levels of unemployment, high risks of HIV infection among citizens, and a large number of African refugees, dominated by Zimbabweans. The biggest problems faced by refugees in Botswana, especially those from Zimbabwe, is no free medical assistance at the government hospitals and a difficulty in obtaining refugee status. The working permit is also very expensive and cannot be processed easily. The refugees also face a high level of hatred from the Botswana nationals, usually because the Botswana nationals think the Zimbabweans are taking more space and jobs meant for them. Zimbabweans are believed to be the hard workers so they attract the employer’s confidence and that has hugely affected the people of Botswana. Education also plays a big role, as most Botswana people are not as educated as Zimbabweans.
All these factors of hatred, lack of medical assistance and employment, and failing to get better documentation leads to refugees committing crimes. But Botswana has zero tolerance on crime, so they all end up in jails. Now they enter the jails sick and most will be suffering from the deadly disease HIV. Since the law in Botswana does not allow people from other countries to get medical attention, these refugees do not receive anti-retroviral drugs from the government of Botswana. I think the law must be revisited because it is unlawful and it violates the rights of the prisoners. How can you arrest someone and not give him/her medication but at the same time not allow him/her to go free and access the medication. This is murder and the government of Botswana must be held accountable.
How do they feel when their people are given medication when visiting other countries but they do not offer the same in their own country? Can’t they copy what South Africa is doing for the visitors who are coming for the World Cup? Many African students used to learn in Zimbabwe in the early nineties and they were given free medication. It is time our African brothers and sisters pay us back by doing the same.
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