'We want Mugabe to go'

2008-04-03 12:39

Florence Panoussian

Johannesburg - Zimbabweans who have fled to South Africa to escape economic misery and political persecution are hopeful they might be about to see the back of President Robert Mugabe at last.

While Zimbabwe awaits official word of whether Mugabe will stay or go, in downtown Johannesburg the possibility of change, while welcomed, is almost too good to be true.

"I am happy because I heard that the opposition won. But I'm afraid Mugabe will find another trick to stay in power," says 29-year-old Admire Gwadzoayi.

"The old man killed a lot of people and he wants to cover up many corrupted things," speculates a young worker, who came to Johannesburg in November and has since survived by doing odd jobs.

Along with thousands of his compatriots with nowhere else to go, Gwadzoayi beds down for the night in the Central Methodist church hall, in the heart of downtown Johannesburg.

"There is a mix of cynicism and excitement among the people here. Some don't believe it is happening and fear some trick from Mugabe," says Paul Verryn, the pastor.

His sermon on Wednesday night was topical: "Whatever the results, you must behave like one nation".

Greener pastures

Verryn encourages people to heed each others' opinions, whether they are followers of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change or Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front party (Zanu-PF).

"That doesn't mean that you have to agree on everything, but that you will struggle for the right of your opponent to express his points of view."

Zanu-PF lost its parliamentary majority in Saturday's general elections and the opposition has already proclaimed victory in the simultaneous presidential poll of which the official results are still to be announced.

One of the crowd gathered for the mass, 22-year-old Owen Muchanyu, says he has been praying for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to become president in place of Mugabe - the country's only leader since independence in 1980.

"Maybe with him, Zimbabwe will change. With Mugabe, the future is very bleak," says the former teacher, who decided to leave two months ago in order to escape intimidation by Zanu-PF officials towards public sector workers.

"Since I was a teacher, I was contrived to support the ruling party, but I couldn't do that, I am on the opposition side."

As Zimbabwe's once thriving economy went into meltdown, with inflation now exceeding 100 000%, South Africa became the destination of choice for those seeking greener pastures.

Some estimates say the number of refugees may be as high as three million.

Amidst those preparing for sleep in the church, a young woman sings a song of peace in Shona, one of the Zimbabwean languages.

'Nothing left in Zimbabwe'

Eyes closed, her head tilted back, Ann Chaps, 30, sways her hips to the rhythm.

"I feel happy. It's time for Mugabe to go. He is very old," says Chaps, who used to work in marketing before, like so many others, illegally jumping the border because she couldn't afford a passport.

"There is nothing left in Zimbabwe, nothing to eat, no money in the banks."

Hopeful of eventual change in her country, Chaps, like many of her compatriots, could not return to vote.

"I was scared because people I know went last week and got arrested at the border. They are still in jail in Zimbabwe."

- AFP