One Mans Escape from Repression

John Moyana a Zimbabwean refugee was forced to leave his country simply because of his involvement with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). A political party in opposition to President Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party. The 39-year-old tells his harrowing story of how he was tortured, imprisoned and threatened with death, before escaping to Britain.

“It was in late September of 2007 when I joined the MDC. I attended one rally and occasionally handed out leaflets at church meetings. I was not a high profile figure within the party.

“About three weeks after joining, my wife and I were in bed one night when we heard the sound of people knocking on our door. We thought they were thieves. But we realised who they were when they broke into our house. They were wearing the colours of the ruling Zanu-PF party. The seven men were armed with guns, machetes and batons.

“They dragged both of us from our bed and started kicking and punching us in front of our nine-year-old son. Our neighbours could hear our screams but none of them came to our aid.

“My wife was beaten so severely around the head with a butt of a gun that she lost consciousness. She was dragged into the bathroom and had water sprayed over her to revive her.

“The gang interrogated me about the MDC party. They wanted me to give them names and addresses of activists. During the interrogation I was beaten so hard around the face that I could hardly see.

“The men accused me of spreading anti-government propaganda and being opposed to the current regime. They said that if I did not co-operate they would rape and mutilate my wife before killing me.

“I pleaded to them that I knew nothing of MDC activities and that all I did for the party was to distribute leaflets. They continued to beat us till the early hours of the morning. Before they left, they burnt all our clothes and ransacked our house.

“Although I sustained many injuries, it was the humiliation that was more terrible. To be unable to protect my wife, and to have my son, who was screaming and crying throughout the ordeal, see his father forced to crawl like a baby and be urinated on by Mugabe's thugs was shameful for me. But I could do nothing.

“My wife and I spent several days in the hospital recovering from our injuries. We decided to send our son to my parent’s house for his safety.

“But when I reported the incident to the local police they arrested and detained me for 38 days. During my detention I was again tortured. I would be regularly hung upside down by my feet and beaten with a pipe. At times during my captivity, I was forced to crawl into a blood stained metal coffin that was used to transport the dead to the mortuary. That was horrific.

“On my release, I was threatened by the police that what happened to me was just a warning, and if I still remained a member of the MDC they would kill me.

“It was too dangerous for me to stay in Zimbabwe any longer. I decided to escape to Johannesburg, South Africa. Unfortunately, my wife was too unwell to risk the trip as she was still receiving treatment for her injuries. She went into hiding with our son and my parents.

“When I arrived in Johannesburg, through a friend, I contacted a group of Nigerians, who were able to arrange a false passport for me and an airline ticket to the UK. The passport and the ticket cost me most of what I had.

“I was instructed that before landing in Britain to get rid of my passport and any other documents. The passport was only used to enable me to board the plane.


“When the plane landed I went to the immigration office and told them that I had lost my passport and that I was seeking asylum from Zimbabwe. I realise that I had entered Britain illegally, but I felt I had no choice, as I believed that my life was in danger if I had stayed.

“I was sent to a detention centre for two weeks. From there I was transferred to a hotel for asylum seekers in Hounslow, west London, while my asylum status was being processed.

“My asylum claim had been initially refused, but on appeal I was granted refugee status in May 2009.

“I have been very fortunate, particularly now that my wife has been able to join me from Zimbabwe. She took the same route as I did to come to Britain in November last year. She has applied for asylum status and now is waiting for her application to be hopefully approved.

“If my wife is granted asylum we would want to bring our son to England, so we can all be together as a family again.

“I would love one day to return to Zimbabwe. It is very difficult to leave your country, where you are born, where your parents still live. But it is Mugabe's regime that has made me leave the country that I love just because I belonged to an opposition party. I pray that the monsters leading the regime will be brought to account soon.

“Since arriving in Britain I have met many exiles who have told me about there own mistreatment at the hands of the Zimbabwean authorities. They also talk about their family and close friends being raped, tortured and murdered by the army, police and gangs of thugs associated with the Zanu-PF party.

“Hearing these stories, I feel very lucky that I was able to flee. Unfortunately, many cannot in my country.”

The End

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To interview John I got in contact initially with the Refugee Council. They put me onto the Refugee Arrivals Project (RAP). This is a voluntary organisation, which provides humanitarian assistance to newly arrived asylum seekers. RAP gave me permission to interview John.