ROHR & ZimVigil exploiting asylum seekers
Published on: 30th June, 2009
ROHR & ZimVigil exploiting asylum seekers | Related News
Editorial
Several days ago as editor of this website, I had to make the difficult decision of whether or not to publicise and expose allegations that human rights group Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) and its sister organisation the Zimbabwe Vigil were exploiting desperate Zimbabwean asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.
In the end we decided it was in the public interest that these issues be raised and tackled. A few months ago Rose Benton who leads the Zimbabwe Vigil wrote to me thanking us for publicising their weekly diary. A perusal of our archives shows that we have covered Zim Vigil activities for over 3 years since this website was set up in June 2006.
It was therefore a cheap blow to see Benton describing us as a ‘loud mouthed Zimbabwean exile website’ that is trying to destabilize the Vigil and ROHR. Such rank hypocrisy is amazing! A few months ago we were the best thing since sliced bread all because we were giving them good coverage. But all of a sudden we have challenged them on transparency and accountability we have become vicious spinners of lies.
For the benefit of those who missed the first series of articles here is a summary. ROHR is accused of making aspiring members pay £120 subscription fees (£10 per month) in return for letters of support for asylum claims. These letters are no longer worth the paper they are written on, but the organisation continues to mislead aspiring members that they will get their asylum status using these.
The Zim Vigil in trying to defend this outrage issued a statement on the 27th of June 2009 exposing their own exploitation of asylum seekers.
In the statement Benton says, ‘we do not have membership fees. We do not make any charge to committed supporters of the Vigil for letters. To people who have come less than 10 times but more than 5 (out of 350!) there is a fee of £10 to cover administration expenses for a detailed letter. To those who have come less than 6 times we are reluctant to say they are supporters but will write a one-line letter confirming they have attended. We charge £20 to discourage this.’
You do not need to be very educated to spot the contradiction in her statement. She claims they do not have membership fees and do not charge committed members of the Vigil for letters, however she admits the not so committed pay from £10 to £20 for the letters. What sort of excuse is this, that they charge people to discourage them from asking for letters? This means our stories are spot on. The ZimVigil avoided commenting on the £120 ROHR ’subscriptions’.
We at Nehanda Radio stand by the expose written by Brilliant Pongo and note that apart from being called all sorts of names, the issues raised have not been answered by the two organisations ROHR and the Zim Vigil. May I take this opportunity to announce that we will be running a series of follow up articles based on submissions from our readers, some of whom were exploited by the two organisations.
If Benton and Tapa think they can hide behind a mere ‘Mugabe Must Go’ slogan and pull the wool over the Zimbabwean community in the UK then they are in for a shock.
Readers Comments
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Tapa is being used by the Rhodesian Rose Benton who is fighting for her peoples farms under the pretex of helping Zimbabweans how come Rose want to fight and help Zimbabweans now why did she not stand up for Zimbabweans under Ian Smith?
Now she has become such an activist fighting for the rights and freedoms of Black Zimbabweans but not so long ago before the farms were taken she had very few black friends now she hangs around ma BHOYI an TAPA how things change…..
we need to open up our eyes some of these Rhodesians are up to no good deep down they are still bloody raicists.
Vakomana vana ve Zimbabwe nyaraiwo uye zivai zvamakavinga muno munyika yohutorwa.Kana mafamba kunovhima mukashaya musabayana nemapfumo nokuti mose muchada kudzokera kumusha muri vapenyu.
Zvokutukana nokunongedzana zvinoitwa neva tadza kuredza vachiti dziva rinoyera.Ndosaka muchizotengesana moga makanganwa kuti ino haisi nyika yenyu mese zvenyu.
Mr.Editor matadza ethics dzebasa renyu.Hamushandisi mazwi akaita sekuti 'you will be in for a shock' because you are now speaking in the context of a personal vendetta as that is too steep a rhetoric for an editor to use. You dont incite your readers to fight let alone starting a straight fight yourself.Just put your facts through your investigative journalism,throw the ball in the center without taking open sides other wise you will damage your prefession as you are supposed to be an impartial referee.
Kuba kwakaipa,kunyepa kwakaipa,kuvenga kwakaipa,kutuka kwakaipa,daka rakaipa,kuchiva chomumwe kwakaipa,kunyengera kwakaipa, kuuraya kwakaipa.Uyo anita izvi anotongwa pasi nokudenga.
Saka ngatiitei sevana ve mhuri imwe tichikudzana nokudanana kuti Mwari varopafadze.
Richard Tembo
Funny how these guys are digging themselves deeper into shit by trying to sound like they are dealing with the issues brought up by Nehandaradio hanzi we charge but we do not charge for membership ku vigil asi kwa Tapa ku ROHR we are made to pay is ROHR and vigil not run by the same pple TAPA and BENTON.
something smells rotton here…
Do not insult these guys they were targeted for supportting MDC. Remember in 2000 during referendum how they sponsored MDC. The ended up losing their farms. to add Insult to injury MDC is not appreciating them shame on you guys
LET IT BE KNOWN THAT TSVANGIRAI HIMSELF IS ALSO EXPLOITING DESPERATE ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE UK. WHEN MAKUVISE WAS APPOINTED THEY WROTE A LETTER TO THE HOME OFFICE SAYING ANY LETTER WHICH IS NOT SIGNED BY MAKUVISE IS INVALID.
GIVEN THIS BACKGROUND ANY MDC BRANCH WHICH DID NOT PAY MONEY TO MAKUVISE DOES NOT GET LETTERS FOR THIER MEMBERSHIP. MANCHESTER BRANCH REFUSED TO PAY THE MONEY AND NONE OF THEIR MEMBERS GOT ANY LETTERS. IT’S UNFORTUNATE THE EDITOR OF THIS PUBLICATION SEEMS TO BE EXPOSING TAPA BUT I CAN SEE YOU ARE FIGHTING PERSONNALITIES.
GO TO THE HOME OFFICE AND SEE THE LETTERS WRITTEN BY TSVANGIRAI AND MAKUVISE AND YOU WILL SEE WHO THE REAL EXPLOITER IS. TO HELP YOU, USE THE FREEDOM TO INFORMATION ACT OF THE UK GOVERNMEMNT AND MOST PEOLPE ARE DOING THIS IN ORDER TO ACCESS THIER FILES AT THE UKBA.
MAKUVISE TOOK £10 000 TO TSVANGIRAI’S WIFE TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR AND WHAT IS THAT MONEY FOR AND WHERE DID IT COME FROM. THERESA MAKONE AT A RALLY IN LEEDS LAST YEAR SHE CLEARLY STATED THAT THOSE WHO GO TO THE VIGIL ARE NOT MDC MEMBERS AND SHALL NOT BE HELPED BY MDC. DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW THAT IF ONE IS PICKED UP BY THE UKBA, VIGIL GUYS WILL TRAVEL TO YOUR RESCUE. AS I SPEAK THE MDC UK ORGANISING SECRETARY CHRAGES £300 TO ACCOMPANY YOU TO COURT. MR EDITOR YOU CLAIM TO BE UNEARTHING THE BEST NEWS BUT AM SORRY YOU DONT HAVE THE FACTS. GO TO MANCHESTER AND YOU WILL BE GIVEN THE PROPER INFOMATION. TAPA IS BEING VICTIMISED BY TSVANGIRAI AND HIS FOOT SOLDIERS.
I think Tapa and gang enjoyed the gravy train in the Top of executive of MDC T.These guys had the opportunity of exploring money making avenues ….when they were sacked from MDC T they simply implemented a super vesion of MDC T BASED ON THE SAME MONEY making protol in MDC T.
They made money from this …..plus got favours and preferential treatment they didnt deserve….and some of the favours can easly be labelled as borderline sexual abuse.
There is much more to this TAPA issue does the eye see.
Nehanda radio acted in the public interest.I have said it…..and will say it again if TAPA and crew have a sound arguement amounting to derformation….WHY WONT YOU SUE THE RADIO STATION.I would be interested in the merits of your case and the barrister who would take your case.MAKABA PERIOD…..its a matter of time before you guys are formally investigated.
Stopbickering news and get united and let us fight one demon.What you are doing shows a lot of in maturity and competence if you ‘ave ant differences and issues please confront each other and say the truth and forgiveeach other and move on.We are a family theres bound to befriction.The word of God encourages us to love one another.God bless.
Honolulu agona.Matewu is fighting Tapa coz ava kutora business rake.Matewu and this lunatic called Ngwenya think they own MDC.We should also understand kuti mashift ava kunetsa and ukawana vanhu varidesparati unodya.Vese vanhu vanotevera should never be allowed near public office Makuvise,Matewu,Tapa ,Chaumburuka,Mutanhaurwa.People have bought cards,support letters at inflated prices or sex.Mr. Editor what Tapa is doing is not new ,only that he does not have a friend who is a newspaper editor.If people ever report Tapa,then they will be shocked when the real culprits will be exposed.Tichanakirwa.Kufarira n’anga inobata mai.
This is all utter bullshit guys,on earth a fight his own brother later alone in a foreign land; LETS learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools,i think MDC is losing its credibility as a party;MDC is on a rampage of pointing a cocked gun to its supporters, now are you trying to panel beat Tsvangirai’statement which was so incorrigible by acusing innocent people otherwise, lets sort out ourselves first.
correction;how on earth a brother fight his own brother;
I think its very unfair and exremely racist to attack Rose Benton she has been more committed to the cause than most of the players on the Zim Scene.
How on earth are we going build a new zimbabwe when people display such racism.
.
WE know that some in mdc now are even writing stories for poor pple . leave Tapa alone.
Ken
What is your definition of racism?Indeed WTF do you know about racism?How is criticism of this Benton woman racist?
I lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of the MDC. If they had stood by their genuine supporters and not got into bed with the Home Office in the first place none of this would be happening! Instead they agreed to the stupid idea of proving membership by being a fully paid member, how do you achieve that if you are not working! The people of Zimbabwe have gone through untold misery because of this and yes it’s true, even MDC members were exploiting people in this matter and it’s just disgusting. Zimbabweans need new leaders, get rid of the whole rotten to the core lot at the top now! I’m so glad this is now out in the open, some of us quit the party in disgust after witnessing first hand this corruption!!!
That mercenary tapa shud be investigated thoroughly.Lets all write to the Home Office.