Tanya: cutting through a web of lies

Tanya: cutting through a web of lies

• Tanya seeks gag order to hide 'dark past'

Zim asylum seekers double after UK ruling

• UK minister loses job over sex-for-asylum scandal

• 'Sex for asylum' UK officer suspended

• 'I will help you,' he said. Then he asked for sex

• Mugabe in 'come home' plea to exiles

• Home Office wins key Zim asylum ruling

• Decision will impact on all Zim asylum seekers

• UK sham marriages law struck down

Tanyaradzwa Maisiri, the teenage girl at the centre of the sex-for-asylum scandal in Britain has claimed that she was raped by one man, pushed into a forced marriage with another and starved by a third. In the public interest, New Zimbabwe.com today presents the story of Giggs (name withheld), the man Tanya (as newspapers identified her) claims she was forced to marry. In his own words, he describes a teenager locked in eternal confusion:

By Giggs

PART III CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY

A YEAR after the rape ordeal, Tanya was expelled from school for indiscipline.

She told me in one of our many conversations that she had been accused of smuggling alcohol into the school and going to a place called Norton during school time.

She pleaded her innocence, and like before, I believed her account. I then offered to get her a private tutor at my expense. Everything seemed to be fine as I encouraged her to concentrate on her school. People started to call her a school drop out and she was receiving unwelcome glances in public.

She was finding it hard to prepare for her exams, but like before, she found within herself the inspiration to soldier on. I thought that this was the end of all the drama, but I was wrong.

In September, Tanya sent me a text saying she wanted to talk to me urgently. I called her to hear what she had to say, and I was not only shocked, but I started to regret why I ever put myself in this situation.

Tanya told me that she had been involved with a criminal gang that robbed people of their cars. In this whole episode, her role was to act as a bait to attract the victims who once taken to secluded areas lost their cars. I could not believe it and Tanya was disappointed that I was dismissing her story as a wild creation of her mind.

I have to make it clear that I never believed her whole account about this criminal gang and ignored her plea for assistance. I pretended as if she had not told me anything. Shumbayaonda, one of my friends who knew Tanya well told me to be careful as the girl had so much in her closet.

It was clear with the unfolding events that Tanya was only going to be safe outside Zimbabwe. I had intended that Tanya should proceed to her A Levels, which she seemed unwilling to do. With the assistance of her mother, we managed to get Tanya a visa and she was supposed to fly out to the UK on the November 12, 2003.

A day before her flight to London, Tanya decided to run away from home which surprised everyone as she had been looking forward to it. I had no contact number, and I did not know where she had gone.

However, a few days later Tanya called me to explain what had precipitated her actions. She told me that the criminal gang had been busted by the police and the gang masters had warned her against giving evidence in court. They had suggested to her that she should sort out a new identity so that she could leave the country. They feared that leaving the country under her real name through the airport was risky, and they had to protect their own interests.

It worked out to me that they had taken Tanya into hiding and provided her with all the necessary accommodation, in a flat in town.

What followed in the next few weeks was unbelievable drama. Tanya had to be moved from one place to the other to avoid detection. It was only then that I realised my worst fears that I was dealing with a girl involved in some activities that were too big for my little shoulders.

I had two options here, either to support Tanya or abandon her. Being a right thinking man I chose the former. It became hard to communicate with Tanya as his handlers were unwilling to let her speak to anyone. At one time I sent my cousin Fauz to meet Tanya at Westgate, where she arrived in the company of three man in a Pajero. My cousin was told to leave Tanya alone as she was in good hands. The handlers were unwilling to let her speak to my cousin in any private conversation. My cousin later called me and told me to forget about Tanya as she was in the company of some dubious and dangerous elements.

I was not to hear from Tanya again, until a few weeks later. She called me from a flat in town and told me that she was staying with a guy called Steven and his girlfriend called Tatenda. They had agreed to give her shelter, and I talked to the guy who assured me that everything was fine and under control. I asked Tanya why she could not return home and she told me that she feared that the police would find her. I tried to convince her that the law would be lenient of her if she accepted to give evidence because of her age. But all this fell on deaf ears as Tanya seemed to have made up her mind.

Unfortunately, her cover was blown up one night. I received a text message from Steven to call him immediately. I called him. Tanya had been picked up by police in the early hours of the morning and taken to an unknown destination. I begged Steven to find out where Tanya had been taken to. I later found out that Tanya was at Harare Central Police Station, where she had been kept for the day.

Steven suggested that he could get Tanya released as he knew some top guys at the Police Station. He was true to his word and Tanya was released the following day in the evening. It later turned out that Steven had paid Zim$1 million to get Tanya out.

Tanya then asked me to pay back Steven ‘s money which I did through a money transfer. She was grateful to Steven for such a favour.

The only stumbling block to Tanya's necessary flight from Zimbabwe was that her passport, as part of the conditions for release, had been withheld. A contact working in the police documents offices, however, told Tanya that he could give her the passport back for a fee. Tanya was told to come a few days later around 8pm with a certain amount of money to get her passport.

As soon as she got the passport, the police contact made it clear that she had to leave the country.

Arrangements were made, and I checked with a good friend of mine about the procedures at the airport in terms of people with criminal records. He assured me that the system was lax, moreso for a teenager there would not be any problem as no one would suspect her of anything. Tanya flew on Christmas eve getting to London on Christmas Day.

I picked her up with my friend from the Airport and brought her to Birmingham.

Don't miss tomorrow's final instalment as I talk about the "forced marriage".
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