Online Reporter
Anesu January
Herald Correspondent
Zimbabwe has reaffirmed its commitment to the protection, inclusion, and empowerment of refugees within its borders.
Speaking ahead of World Refugee Day, to be held at Tongogara Refugee Camp, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mercy Dinha, said Zimbabwe has set positive refugee policies and a legal framework, with a commitment grounded in international and regional conventions such as the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity Refugee Convention, which have been domesticated into national law.
The world will celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20 this year, with the theme “Solidarity with Refugees.”
“The 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe extends other privileges that relate to access to national social service support systems and pathways towards naturalisation,” she said.
“My ministry has been promoting access to civil documentation, which includes birth certificates for children born in Zimbabwe and national IDs for all refugees.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative, Mr Boubacar Bamba, said the theme “Solidarity with Refugees” means honouring refugees not just with words, but with actions.
“It means standing up for their rights, to seek safety, and for solutions to save lives. But above all, solidarity means saying clearly and courageously that refugees are not alone, and that we will not turn our backs on them,” he said.
Mr Bamba thanked the Government of Zimbabwe for its support to refugees and other persons of concern, stating that the country hosts around 17,000 refugees in Tongogara Refugee Camp.
“The refugees have been supported and provided with assistance. The majority are in the settlement and have access to land for agriculture, including irrigation, healthcare, education, and water services in Tongogara Refugee Camp.”
