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Dr Masimba Mavaza
Care workers, lured from Zimbabwe with promises of greener pastures in the United Kingdom, are being scammed and exploited by both the middlemen and prospective employers.
Many Zimbabweans are promised heaven on earth, but only to realise that they have been tricked into coming to the UK by unscrupulous middlemen who withhold up to half their wages and force them to live in squalor, that is if they have jobs to offer.
Many come to the UK and are forced to squat in a small cubicle, sometimes sharing it among 10 of them and sleeping on the floor in the cold weather of England.
One Tanzanian woman who runs a recruiting agency has recruited a number of Zimbabweans who are now roaming the streets.
The scam, which cashes inon the acute shortages of nursing and care staff across Britain’s hospitals and care homes, has been abused by greedy agency owners who charge thousands of pounds to unsuspecting job seekers from Zimbabwe.
Agencies – often run by Zimbabweans in the UK and unregulated – are exploiting the care givers.
A Zimbabwean nurse in Northampton, Mr Kelvin Nyalayi, was found hanging in the garage at his house after finding it difficult in the UK.
The Northamptonshire police confirmed that Mr Nyalayi died of strangulation due to hanging.
His body has not been buried and the Methodist Church in Northampton is holding daily services to comfort the grieving family.
In another sad situation of these COS abuse, another Zimbabwean man and a father of two, who arrived in the United Kingdom in October 2022 committed suicide near Calverton Hill Woods in Nottinghamshire.
According to his niece (Mavis), Joram Mumbwandarika, a former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe employee had a relatively good life in Zimbabwe before selling all his possessions in October of 2022 to move to the UK after his relatives organised a COS for him.
His relocation excitement was extinguished when he arrived in the UK.
He was disappointed by his sponsors’ lack of commitment and their failure to deliver the rosy and sweet life they had promised.
Mumbwandarika was never given any job and he had to dig deep into his savings to make ends meet. Within few months and minus all his savings, he found himself in the streets and struggling.
After seeing his savings going down due to lack of work as promised, support and high rentals caused him a mental health breakdown, which resulted in him getting sectioned in Birmingham Woodbourne Priory Hospital in early December of 2022.
In early March, he sought advice from lawyers and made an appointment for a consultation in April 2023.
This was never to be as Mumbwandarika gave up hope and cut his life short.
While he was in the mental hospital, he assaulted two nurses after they confiscated his mobile phone in the ward when he was observed constantly shouting to his sponsor, which appeared to worsen his depression.
The nurses had made a decision to take his phone and save him from further upsetting himself.
Unfortunately, because of his race, the doctors told the police that Mumbwandarika knew what he was doing and he was arrested.
He then got charged and transferred to Arnold Priory, where he had made a remarkable recovery and was due for discharge when he found out that his sponsor was still charging him rentals for his belongings while in hospital.
His sponsor, a Zimbabwean, found an opportunity to fire Mumbwandarika because he had been arrested and charged for assault.
Now, with no job and totally no prospects of finding any, Mumbwandarika hanged himself as he could not fathom the idea of going back to Zimbabwe to start afresh.
His lifeless body was found hanging by dog walkers on the Sunday morning of 26 March 26.
Mumbwandarika was still under hospital care when he hanged himself.
The hospital gave a statement that Mumbwandarika requested to catch fresh air outside his ward and was allowed as he was showing signs of improvement.
His body is expected to arrive in Zimbabwe today, with his burial set for his farm.
Joram is the son of a well-known Zimbabwean doctor, Dr Mumbwandarika.
It is sad that such incidents of exploitation are being perpetrated by our own people.
Another Zimbabwean in Kent, Mathew (his second name protected), attempted suicide by taking an overdose of pills after he crashed a car belonging to his employer.
Mathew had no driving experience and the busy British roads made it difficult for him to navigate his way .
He then faced demands for money from his employer and from the insurer of the car he rammed into.
His employer’s insurance refused to pay after they discovered that Mathew’s Zimbabwean driver’s licence was issued by an officer stationed at Mbare Matapi flats.
In short, his licence was fake.
Mathew is recovering at home without a job and the police waiting to charge him over his fake driver’s licence.
Mathew can not go back to Zimbabwe that easy because he sold his house to raise £ 7 000 to pay the sponsor and for tickets to come to the UK.
The most painful thing is that the COS is supposed to be free, but Zimbabweans charge anything between £3 000 to £ 10 000.
Zimbabweans have harboured a wrong belief that Britain is the answer to economic challenges, especially over the past two years that care workers have been given a green pass to the UK.
All along it was nurses and medical doctors who were allowed to come to UK without problems. Hiring care workers is a new phenomenon, and a lucrative businessof manipulation has been built around it.
Many Zimbabweans are asked to do some Red Cross training which is not even a requirement in the UK. They are charged an arm and a leg to do a useless Red Cross course.
Then the corrupt VID officers are now charging thousands to issue driver’s licences to those who have no clue about driving.
Then those with travelling agencies have inflated the flight costs.
The hurtful thing is that people with respectable professions such as lawyers, engineers and university graduates are fooled to abandon their professions and come to be voluntary ‘slaves’ in the UK.
“There is no social life in the UK. It is work and work and more work,” said Susan Machakaire, who arrived in the UK in February.
“If only I had known I would not have come to this country which is so cold.”
“The problem with people in Zimbabwe who want to come to the UK is that if they are told the truth while they are still home, they think someone is trying to prevent them from coming and get rich,” said Erasmus Mukwindidza, who has been in the UK for the past 20 years.
The UK is a popular choice with many expatriates from all over the world.
As one of the world’s top economies, it has plenty to offer those seeking excellent employment opportunities and a better standard of living.
The country’s diverse, tolerant culture makes most newcomers feel welcome.
With a rich history and varied landscape encompassing four nations and many regions, the UK does have something to tempt every migrant.
But moving to the UK is a huge decision. It is a big adjustment for any newcomer — but it can also be a worthwhile adventure if the sponsors were not greedy and abusive.
In the end, it is not worth selling your house just to come to the UK. A house is an asset you do not want to lose. Chances are you might not get it back if you lose it.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda