Khethiwe Mashavave - Won't be Flying Tonight (Posted 15:30 Thursday 29th September 2011)
We have official word that Khethiwe is not being deported to Zimbabwe today!
This gives her solicitors a chance to put together her case. She is still detained and is likely to be served a further removal notice, but today she is safe!
Many thanks to all who have responded to the alert for Khethiwe, but the struggle goes on till the Home Secretary gives her refugee protection.
Khethiwe Mashavave Belongs to Bristol - Not Robert Mugabe
Khethiwe Mashavave a national of Zimbabwe and 10 years a resident of Bristol. Is currently detained in Yarl's Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Kenyan Airways flight KQ 101 at 20:00 hrs on Thursday 29th September, for onward transit on KQ 700 to Zimbzbwe.
Khethiwe is a human rights activist who has lived in the UK for nearly ten years. Her long involvement in community and human rights work is well known in Bristol. She was a founder member of the Bristol branch of the MDC in 2008. She has been highly prominent in Bristol community affairs. Her photographs and speech is on the internet. Returning her to Mugabe and his regime would be extremely dangerous for Khethiwe. There are serious fears for her life.
The Zimbabwean regime is known world-wide for denial of human rights and the arbitrary persecution of anyone who does not actively support President Mugabe. UK policy has in the past recognised that to have sought asylum in UK is enough to endanger a Zimbabwean; returns have restarted but there is no evidence that the situation has become safer. No-one knows what has happened to people who have been deported in the last few months.
Zimbabwe is a Failed state the 4th worst in the world: A failed state has little or no governance, endemic corruption, profiteering by ruling elites, very poor Human Rights, the government cannot/will not protect the population from others or itself, massive internal conflict, forced internal/external displacement, institutionalised political exclusion of significant numbers of the population, progressive deterioration of welfare infrastructure (hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses) not adequate to meet health, needs, progressive economic decline of the country as a whole as measured by per capita income, debt, severe child mortality rates, poverty levels.
Khethiwe has been poorly represented in the past by solicitors. A recent refusal was not communicated to her; she missed the deadline for appeal and was detained without warning last week at the police station. She has new solicitors who given time are prepared to present her case afresh.
Khethiwe has earned her place in the community in Bristol. For over nine years, she has contributed her time generously through her church, through Zimbabwean organisations and through the Bristol Refugee Welcome Centre. At the launch of Bristol as a City of Sanctuary in June 2011, she took her seat on the platform with Bristol civic leaders in June and stood proudly to speak her confidence in the city of Bristol and the need for all asylum seekers to be treated with respect, dignity and love.
Khethiwe's Bristol community have rallied to try and stop the removal, several local protests, lots of leafleting, now they are asking you to get behind them and Khethiwe.
What you can do to help
1) Email/Fax/Phone, Sam Okwulehie, Group Area Manager Kenya Airways. Urge him not to carry out the forced removal of Khethiwe Mashavave. Due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Kenyan Airways flight KQ 101 at 20:00 hrs on Thursday 29th September, for onward transit on KQ 700 to Zimbzbwe.
Download model letter KhethiweMashavaveKA.doc you can copy/amend/compose your own.
Put as much pressure on this airline as you can, to make them consider if it's worth the damage to their reputation to continue as one of UKBA's deportation airlines.
E-mail: contact@kenya-airways.com
Fax: 020 8745 5027 (Or from outside the UK + 44 20 8745 5027)
Phone: 020 8759 7366 (Or from outside the UK + 44 20 8759 7366)
2) Email/Faxing Theresa May, Home Secretary
Ask her to exercise her discretionary powers to stay the removal and release Khethiwe Mashavave from detention and to grant Khethiwe protection in the UK.
Download model letter, KhethiweMashavaveTM.doc or alternatively write your own one. Please remember to quote Khethiwe Mashavave's Home Office Reference number M1230703 in any correspondence.
Rt. Hon Theresa May, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office,
2 Marsham St
London SW1 4DF
Fax: 020 7035 4745
Emails:
mayt@parliament.uk
Emails: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
"CIT - Treat Official" <CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>
3) Email/Fax Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister: Ask him to intervene with the Home Secretary Theresa May to stop the forced removal of Khethiwe Mashavave. due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Kenyan Airways flight KQ 101 at 20:00 hrs on Thursday 29th September, for onward transit on KQ 700 to Zimbzbwe.
Downlad model letter KhethiweMashavaveNickClegg.doc. You can copy, amend or write your own version - if you do please remember to include the following: Khethiwe Mashavave, Home Office Reference: M1230703, is currently in detention @ Yarl's Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Kenyan Airways flight KQ 101 at 20:00 hrs on Thursday 29th September, for onward transit on KQ 700 to Zimbzbwe.
Nick Clegg - Deputy Prime Minister's Office
Cabinet Office
70 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AS
Correspondence Section:
Tel: 020 7276 0527
Fax: 020 7276 0514
pscorrespondence@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Please let the Campaign know of any actions taken:
khethiwemuststay@gmail.com |