200 Zimbabweans camp outside South African embassy

200 Zimbabweans camp outside South African embassy

INVASION: Zimbabweans claiming to be victims of political violence camp outside the South African embassy on Wednesday night

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AROUND 200 people claiming to be victims of political violence in Zimbabwe gathered at the South African embassy in Harare on Wednesday night seeking refuge amid an election crisis in the country.

Men, women and children huddled in the open in the car park of the embassy situated less than a kilometre (mile) from President Robert Mugabe's official residence.

Humanitarian agencies were busy distributing blankets to the group which claimed they fled their homes in various parts of the country after they were attacked by alleged Mugabe's supporters.

"Our main concern right now is our security," said Tangai Takaruza, an official from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party from from Mhondoro, a rural district some 100 kilometres southwest of the capital.

"We believe we are much safer here than anyway else in this country. Even safe houses are being raided.

"Even if we sleep in the open here, we are better off than roaming the streets as we have been doing for the past three days. The past three days have been horrible, we were sleeping rough on the streets."

He said he was among those who were housed at MDC headquarters before it was raided by police on Monday.

Police said they removed 39 people from the opposition offices for health reasons and took them to a social welfare centre.

Naomi Ndlovu, 26, a vegetable vendor whose house was torched to the ground in Epworth, south of the capital, said moving into the South African embassy was likely to help pressure President Thabo Mbeki to act quickly in finding a solution to the Zimbabwean crisis.

Mbeki is the regionally appointed mediator for Zimbabwe and has faced criticism over his quiet diplomacy approach.

"We think that Mbeki is not pushing this case with much punch. Hopefully this will get him to move," she said.

South Africa's ambassador to Harare told reporters that betwen 100 and 200 people had arrived at the embassy Wednesday afternoon "seeking refuge" and that they would be kept for the night while a solution to their plight was sought.

"We have indicated to them that we don't have the physical infrastructure to cater for their needs. we are trying to organise blankets to keep them warm overnight," Mlungisi Makalima said as the country is in the peak of winter.

The MDC say more than 80 of its supporters have been killed and thousands displaced in the run up to Friday's presidential run-off.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has pulled out of the race, but Mugabe has vowed to push ahead with the vote. - AFP
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