Are you an asylum seeker or irregular immigrant in the UK thinking of returning to Zimbabwe?

From the 1st April 2011, Refugee Action will run the Assisted Voluntary Return programme.

Refugee Action will provide advice and assistance for three groups of people who may be considering voluntary return:

• Asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers (VARRP programme)
• Families and children (AVRFC programme)
• Irregular migrants (AVRIM programme)

You can read more about the assisted voluntary return options at the UK Border agency website here and here

A recent photo essay by Gertrude Pswarayi for Global Press Institute shows how a lack of food, clothes and supplies plagues residents.

In Zimbabwe, mental illness is considered a curse. Those suffering from mental illnesses are shunned, abandoned and forgotten by family. In one “insane asylum,” mental health patients rely on each other and the medical staff for emotional suport. Still, the hospital struggles to provide residents with adequate food, toiletries and clothing. Despite all these challenges, patients here say their faith in God gives them hope.

View more

In Cote d’Ivoire, it looks like it’s military power, not people power or diplomatic pressure, that’s beginning to make a difference after a 4-month stalemate following November’s presidential elections.

According to the BBC GlobalNews podcast yesterday:

Alasan Outarra is looking increasingly confident. He already knows he has the combined support of the international community behind him. But that’s turned out to be much less useful than a loyal and efficient fighting force. Having such an army has at least put him on the verge of making his presidency a reality and forcing Laurent Gbagbo to step down.

In Kenya and Zimbabwe, a disputed election led to the defeated incumbent negotiating his way back into government. So is it any wonder that Gbagbo hasn’t been listening to diplomatic pressure asking him to leave. What use then are concepts like “diplomacy” and “international community” when it’s actually force that’s a lot harder to ignore?

Elizabeth Taylor’s (RIP) funeral ceremony last week started 15 minutes behind time; she said she wanted to be late to her own funeral. Read more

According to the latest SMS from the MDC, Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma, who was arrested earlier today, has been indicted to the High Court for trial 18 July. He has been remanded in custody.

Mangoma was arrested earlier this month, released after five nights, and is accused of unlawfully abusing his office as Energy and Power Development Minister by ordering his subordinates to procure five million litres of diesel from a South African company, Nooa Petroleum without following tender procedures.

Nehanda Radio reports that police are also looking for co-Minister of Home Affairs (which controls the police) Theresa Makone with a view towards arresting her.

The MDC speculates that their MPs are being targeted for arrest pending possible elections for Speaker of Parliament next week Tuesday. The voting margins in Parliament are very tight, and the absence of a few MPs on either side could make a difference in the result.

I just got this text message from the MDC:

Hon Elton Mangoma was this morning picked up by the police from his house.  More details to follow. Say No to violence. Yes to peace. mdcinfo

The MDC have said that he is to appear at the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon.

Mangoma, Zimbabwe’s Minister for Energy and Power Development, and an MDC MP, was  arrested on 10 March and detained for five nights.

He was released on 15 March on $5,000 bail and told to report to the police every Wednesday. The High Court judge who presided over the bail hearing descried the state’s case against him as “weak.”

He has been accused of unlawfully abusing his office as Energy and Power Development Minister by ordering his subordinates to procure five million litres of diesel from a South African company, Nooa Petroleum without following tender procedures.