Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya says Zambia denied MDC official Tendai Biti asylum because there is no breakdown of law and order in Zimbabwe.
Govt denied Tendai Biti asylum because no breakdown of law & order in Zimbabwe. Citizens lives not under threat reason no influx of asylum seekers. SADC said elections free and fair. Post election violence suspects (6 died) to appear before courts and is internal matter.
— Hon. Dora Siliya, MP (@Dora_Siliya) August 9, 2018
Ms. Siliya said that Mr. Biti’s request did not meet conditions for asylum as there was no breakdown of law and order in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of elections that saw the ZANU-PF’s Emerson Mnangagwa declared winner.
“Mr Tendai Biti presented himself to the Zambian authorities at the border in Chirundu and unlike any other Zimbabwean entering Zambia, he presented himself seeking asylum. He was held at the border following consultations with government and after the conclusion of consultations particularly with the Ministry of Home Affairs it was deduced that he did not qualify for asylum,” Siliya said.
“One can only seek asylum if their country of origin is under massive violence and there is total breakdown of law and order and indeed the lives of citizens there are threatened. In this case, it was concluded that did not apply to Mr Tendai Biti and has been handed back to the Zimbabwean authorities and not deported because he was not in Zambia illegally, he had been denied entry into Zambia. He was being held at the border pending consultations.”
She said, “On the matter he managed to get the court order, consultations with the office of the Attorney General show that he had already been handed back to the Zimbabwean authorities when this court order was apparently handed.”
Siliya added: “In this case he was just handed back to the Zimbabwean authorities.”
She said, “On the matter he managed to get the court order, consultations with the office of the Attorney General show that he had already been handed back to the Zimbabwean authorities when this court order was apparently handed.”
Ms. Siliya says the court order restraining Zambian authorities handing over Mr. Biti to the Zimbabwean authorities was served after he had already been surrendered.
Mr. Biti had been detained at the Chirundu Border Post after attempting to seek asylum in Zambia following an arrest warrant issued by the Zimbabwean authorities.
Ms. Siliya’s assertions that there is no breakdown of the law flies straight in the face of the US government which has stated through its Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs that “We are deeply troubled by credible reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces.”
And Minister of Foreign Affairs will say something else.
Then Minister of Justice. Before Kapyongo defend somebody.
Closing remarks before by Sunday Chanda.
PF is a mess.
Zimbabwe and any other countries should hand over Lungu, Dora and all other thieves when their time of reckoning comes. For now Mumba junior should be handed over to me by the US for a telling off. We can’t have law and order being compromised on LT.
total mess
Why is Dora becoming so ugly by the day?
We are waiting for a statement from DRC when they demand the expulsion of Katumbi!
Don’t worry Tendai Lungu baba and the 40 thieves won’t be in power fever remember what happened to Sata in Malawi?
Just be patient!
There is completely no leadership …and the most insulting part of it all is that the President is a lawyer. Its not surprising that LAZ debarred him as he was clearly not a good lawyer!!
NONSENSE! How do you explain the unjustified shooting of 6 people the police nor the military have failed to explain themselves. Dora who are you and the Zambian Government to determine that there is no breakdown of law in that Country? Besides Biti may believe there is a genuine threat on him as a person and he can justifiably seek asylum. You know there are Zambians out there who have sought asylum outside … it doesn’t necessarily mean the country has had a breakdown in law … Dora you have really become dull under the PF what happened to You ?????
“Mpefu she is not only becoming ugly but Dull too … only her Wallet is improving tremendously ….. but other KPIs are pointing South for this Wench … hehehehe!
Good call. Let Biti try Botswana or Tanzania. We already have our own thorn, HH.
Mnangagwa was allowed to stay in Zambia when he was running away from uncle Bob. How’s this case different?
Biti was also very naive to think that Zambia under chakolwa lungu would grant him asylum.
Most people in Zim are misinformed that Zambia is being ruled by a good government and yet Lungu and Mnangagwa are both dictators operating with the same princiciples. ZANU-PF and Zambian PF are sister parties. Mnangagwa has promised Chakolwa lungu a safe haven should Lungu be expelled and the same goes for lungu to Mnangagwa.
Only an arms struggle will solve these African leadership madness.
Tendai Biti has only himself to blame for his poor judgment and poor choice of a country for seeking asylum. He couldnt’ think of other countries? What a costly mistake you made Tendai !!
Wanzelu – Emmerson Mnangagwa himself flew to RSA last year because he knows that you can not trust a coward like Lazy Lungu. Lazy Lungu was the one who wanted Mugube to stay on till elections …if Emmerson Mnangagwa landed at KKIA he would have been handed back by PF.
Zambia has no extradition agreement with Zimbabwe. So, even if Biti is wanted on a criminal matter and he is disputing, there was supposed to be a formal written request for extradition and a court hearing thereafter. That is international law as we have signed up to it. Biti in that case had the choice of either returning home or going to a third country of his choice. This is a major diplomatic blunder and violation of international law.
@Wanzelu. Arms struggle eh? Once started it never ends. Ask the Congolese if there has been anything you can call peace in Congo since the time of Patrice Lumumba. You are better off losing elections than ending up in a mass grave. Is it because you are not in Zambia that you want to stir strife in Zambia? Take a leaf from your friend Biti who is running away from the law after instigating violence that took peoples’ lives. Try better ways of selling your party UPND than insults of bitterness. I can see you are a loner. You don’t have close relations to care about and so you are insensitive. Zambians are peaceful you trouble makers.
So, according to Dora, the court order came AFTER Biti had already been handed over to the Zimbabwean authorities? Really? Can some investigative journalists please look into this. This is an extremely serious issue, if it’s found to be untrue. The blatant disregard for the rule of law and disrespect for our judiciary should not be tolerated in Zambia. Not even clueless Lungu and his gang should be allowed to be acting outside the rule of law. Someone needs to be charged with contempt of court, if it’s proven that Biti was still on Zambian soil when the court order was delivered. Secondly, the asylum conditions Dora narrated seem to be exaggerated. Nonetheless, if you were not satisfied with his claims, why didn’t you give him an opportunity to choose another country in which he…
(continued)… could’ve sought asylum, instead of handing him back to the military junta? Extremely mediocre and lawless leadership. You all need to be charged with contempt of court and thrown in prison.
UK diplomats have revealed that they are closely following MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti’s case engaging the Zimbabwean and Zambian authorities over his safety after he was denied political asylum in Zambia yesterday and handed over to Zimbabwean authorities.
GRZ handed Tendai Biti over because they don’t respect rule of law .Court orders were handed in good time and you defied them openly just like you did regarding Rupiah Banda’s passport & travel to Kenya.
Kaponya you are on the spotlight, the quicker you understand the implication the better. Investors are watching, international community will confirm what the opposition and civil society have been saying; corruption, intimidation, etc.
Really sad …so much confusion by these kaponyas clear sign of lack of leadership at the top!!!
Jay Jay
How can you say that when the Great Leader is busy campaining for 2021 kikiki
The sooner PF admits it is inept the better for all,especiall themselves.This level of incomptence is unprecedented and dangerous.
Kaili he’s Zimbabwean so let him go and finish what he started.
“One can only seek asylum if their country is under massive violence.. ”
The 4th paragraph makes some very disturbing reading bcuz that is pure nonsense and against international law. Zambia is a country of jungle rules.
Imagine telling Jews who were running away from The Gestapo, that there is no need for asylum as there is no breakdown of the law and order in Germany…this is how silly the bloated woman in the picture sounds like.
This what you get when you allow criminals to pollute politics, they would rather die than give away power. Skeletons of Gukurahundi massacres — which remain an emotive political and electoral issue in the Zimbabwe — are tumbling out of the closet.
A top-secret dossier providing never-seen-before details compiled in the 1980s by international relief agencies on the ground, and sent to Zimbabwe’s deposed ruler Robert Mugabe, shows the former strongman got but ignored reports of a rampage of massacres of civilians — including women and children — in Matabeleland and Midlands regions in the 1980s.
The dossier, which contains reports from doctors, nurses, headmasters, teachers and civilians, together with pictures of badly injured and dying people, paints a horrific picture of how marauding…
Continued
paints a horrific picture of how marauding soldiers killed civilians under the pretext of combating “dissidents” during Mugabe’s scorched earth policy campaign.
The new information adds to declassified reports released mainly in South Africa and Britain — which willfully ignored the atrocities — in recent years implicating Mugabe in orchestrating the atrocities for political gain in areas then controlled by his bitter rival, the late opposition PF Zapu leader Joshua Nkomo.
The exclusive document, compiled by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) led by British-based Oxfam International and recently obtained and corroborated by Botswana’s INK Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Zimbabwe Independent, provides new details, including a list of names of those killed by the…
Continued
including a list of names of those killed by the North Korean-trained crack military unit, the Fifth Brigade.
A long list of people killed, including villagers, teachers and councillors, under state of emergency conditions in areas such as Nkayi, Lupane and Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North province — before the massacres rapidly spread to Matabeleland South and Midlands provinces — is provided in a confidential report sent to Mugabe after he had met NGO workers on March 2, 1983.
Bhalagwe, where civilians were killed and dumped into derelict mine shafts, in Matabeleland South later became Zimbabwe’s own version of Nazi German concentration camp Buchenwald.
Former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo’s father’s name — Job Melusi Mlevu, a Zapu councillor then — is also on…
Continued
Job Melusi Mlevu, a Zapu councillor then — is also on the list of those killed. He was killed on January 22, 1983 in Tsholotsho, according to the report. The report shows most of the people were killed for political and ethnic reasons through brutal attacks, bayonetting and gunshots, including pregnant women, children and the elderly.
So are you suggesting Biti and company are disorientated. As a responsible govt you should taken them to Chainana Hospital as vulnerable human beings for help. Memories of late Tsvangirai who claimed to have been the target of four assassination attempts – including one in 1997 in which he said attackers attempted to throw him out of his office window are still fresh.
VERY shallow reading from DORA, Political opponents can seek asylum at anytime even though the country is not in a crisis, its individually sought based on witch hunting with sufficient data. TENDAI only got wrong lawyers from southern zambia he should have brought ZIM laywers or zambian courts cant match them
Akosefye Ngwele. Better a coward than a Dead HERO it is said.
Tendai Biti recently called Zambia a failed state. How do you run to a country you have just called a failed state?? Besides, entering any country is a privilege and not a right.
Until your balls are about to be squeezed will you understand his situation.
Ala bane;that is what Biti said? bachitabwino kabwelemo to a country which is not a failed state. Anyway, sometimes, things are said out of emotions and a I believe TB may have said that under some degree of frustration. we should have kept him here for some days, really. Hope the guys in Zim will not abuse there opportunity to mend that country. Look at Eretria and Ethiopia, the two countries have stolen the limelight for wht happened between the two countries few weeks ago.
The reason why dull Lungu and his bunch of dimwits sent Tendai home is coz he showed solidarity with HH. That is how petty these !d!ots are.
It is NOT ALWAYS total breakdown of law and order that should warrant Asylum seeking of running away to seek safety! EVEN MNANGAGWA HAD RUN AWAY FROM ZIM when he didn’t feel safe but that helped him live another day to become President!IF what we read is right, he went over the Zim/Mozambican border illegally and mostly likely entered S.Africa. He broke rules, but S.Africans did not arrest him and hand him to Zimbabwe. They applied logic,allowed him to stay and later went back to become President. BITI MIGHT HAVE COMMITTED SOME UNREASONABLE ACTS BUT WE HAVE OUR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS TO RESPECT AND CIVILITY TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE WORLD AT LARGE! Things change, one of these politicians may need Biti in future!!
The enjoyment of asylum is not premised on the breakdown of law and order in the country of origin of the asylum seeker rather on an individual’s well-founded fear of persecution. Asylum is denied or granted through an established due process that also provides for the rebuttal process if the decision is negative. The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has previously censured Zambia on the ill-treatment of Senegalese in Zambia, and we should have learned from that incident.
I fully support the actions of the Zambian authorities. Tendai Biti and these irresponsible, unpatriotic Zambian opposition political lawyers (Keith, Gilbert & Mulambo) Should not dare bring the Zimbabwe political confusion into Zambia. It is not in our interest to get involved or be part of the conversation as has been the case over the last 48hrs. CNN, BBC running Zambia this Zambia that headlines over Zim issues. Now US senator, US Govt, UN, UK, EU now putting us under pressure over things that should not involve us. We are just spectators.
Zambia has failed its obligations under UN conventions which it signed though
What Biti did or did not do or what Zim Govt did or did not do should not, quite frankly, be something we should spend time getting involved in or debating but leave to the Zimbabweans to resolve amongst themselves.
We kept them when Ian Smith was after them. Smith would come to Zambia with his Selous scouts and bomb suspected rebel camps in the end killing Zambians who happened to be near suspected camps such as Chinyunyu. They get independence and now they’re running away from themselves. I remember the audio manufactured by some Zambians purportedly with the voice of Emerson Mnangagwa threatening to invade Zambia because Edgar had allegedly opposed the ouster of Gabriel Mugabe. And I remember how some Zambians celebrated at the threat. It’s a no win show…better to ignore it.
Look at their reasoning. First it’s not up to these dimwits to determine whether Zimbabwe has “breakdown of law and order”. It is another country and as such they are not competent to make that assessment; making such outrageous statements is tantamount to interfering in a sovereign country. 2nd political asylum is an individual thing and has nothing to do with whether or not a country you are running away from has civil unrest (in most cases yes). Rather any person who believes their life is in danger can seek political asylum and a country like Zambia who is signatory to UN conventions on refugees and asylum seekers is obligated and obliged to grant it.
Finally as many have pointed out, he should have not been handed back to the authorities he’s running away from even if his…
People like Dora can spew things like this as they have never been on the run …this is a woman who insulted Sata and even stuck two fingers at PF in Parliament. Today she is enjoying Sata’s sweat and blood…politics is a funny game tomorrow you will be in opposition and MDC will be in govt, mind you Chamisa is only 40 years old.
…Finally as many have pointed out, he should have not been handed back to the authorities he’s running away from even if his application had no merit. He should have been either asked to go back on his own or go to another country of his choosing…Jeez Zimbabwean authorities didn’t ask Zambia to hand him back. These dimwits don’t even understand UN conventions and human rights they are signatory to.
Dora says there has to be; “Massive violence or total breakdown of order”
Total ignorance of international law and a pathetic explanation of the indefensible. Biti claimed asylum as an individual and there is no requirement that the country you are fleeing has to be on fire. People the world over have been pursued as individuals in genuine fear of brutality or death for their views or from paranoid regimes. It’s abundantly clear that we have a government of officials devoid of international processes or human values. How do you even deal with an asylum claim in such record time – even where it went to court?
What do you expect from this fat bacon who thinks Turkey is the largest economy of the EU!!
*…is the fifth largest …
why so fast ,within 24 yrs denied and sent back when our citizens havent seen the walls of the courts in months and yet they are locked up, jail keys given to edgar chagwa lungu,smart govts would have played a game of chess,as lungu claims our courts are free from political influence.
But Lazy Lungu is not that smart..moreover he wants to do what he does best attend the inauguration ceremony and add a 2 day visit in Harare.
She did’nt even have to bother to give a statement. The Government of Zambia owes no one any apology or explanation in this matter. Assylum is a privilige, not a right.
Many asylum seekers are turned back from European countries because it’s deemed the reasons advanced do not warrant refuge status or because their countries is relatively peaceful. Only a demented person will refute this.
It is a right under Int’l conventions which Zambia is a signatory.
After what happened to Sata in Malawi and his reaction to the incident once he ascended into power, it vexes one deeply that this same PF government could do this to Bityi while knowing only too well that a number of people in that country were shot dead after the polls. If I were Dora, I will be very careful because tables to turn and sometimes do so very fast. With this obesity disease that seems to be engulfing her, she might not even be able to reach Mbeya or Blantyre before we capture and decapitate he!
Mukongo wako Dora
On another note, just what the hell is Dora swallowing these days? Is it spermatozoa? She must easily be tipping the scale in excess of 130 kg and in a country where post malnutrition is so rife, this is just plain tasteless. Anyway, micomizi yecwana ke kona yene isize nwanyi kwa litindi! She must be without any shame to be gaining such collossal weight when others are tightening their belts. The same goes for Nkandu Luo with her hanging meat on her forearms ramniscent of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon!
Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs that “We are deeply troubled by credible reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces.”
Being targeted, that’s ground for granting somebody asylum.
This week 10s of asylum seekers running away from repressive central American governments have been turned away by the Trump administration at the Mexican border. What makes this situation from the Titi case.
The Titi behaved during HH’s loss allowing him in Zambia is like Fidel Castro getting asylum in the USA or allowing your husbands former to come and stay with you.
The platform was set for the world to see the workings of the justice system in Zambia, but it was not to be – the Judicial was ignored completely which is frightening – and then a barrage of lies follows which is very annoying.
Be serious. What platform for what world? This is Africa my friend where you don’t get involved in other people’s fights. Wars and conflicts in Africa have no rules and never end. The Western you want to concern yourself over will just watch from the comfort of their rich countries while Zam and Zim tear each apart. They will do nothing while black man kills black man. They do not care. Don’t allow anyone to turn Zam-Zim relationship into a Kenya-Somalia or Ethiopia-Eritria one.
She is wiser than the little boy Childish.
Well-done GRZ,we are not in Kaunda regime where we should keep law breakers all in the name of political asylum and diplomatic engagement s.we already past that stage.
‘Ms. Siliya’s assertions that there is no breakdown of the law flies straight in the face of the US government which has stated through its Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs that “We are deeply troubled by credible reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces.” ‘.
I would rather go with Dora’s comment ten more times than with that American twit.
Trump and his gov have lost international and even their own press credibility, theirs is a rule of twits by tweets.
The Tendai twit has been freed by Mnangagwa hasn’t he? He will face the law from the comfort of his home, office or even his favourite pub. So what is this American Assistant twit talking about?
OK YOU HANDED OVER….BUT WHY SO QUICKLY….YOU HAD THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL….EXPLAIN PLEASE
I can explain. For how long can you keep a smelly rotten egg in your hand? You will fling it away immediately it touches your fingers. Biti is like a bad smell to the Zambian Government for his stup1d utterances. Besides, we don’t want that smell rubbing onto our beloved HH. The Government is respecting his freedoms, even the freedom to insult. He is being looked after well. The one who calls the tune pays the piper. Biti has some paying to do in the Zimbabwean law courts. He is in the right place, not in Zambia.
It is not up to you Dora to determine what one is running away from, Mnangagwa was on the Run just recently and he went to South Africa, did you here south Africa say they are giving him back to Mugabe, our Pilato ran to south Africa, did you here south Africa say they are bringing him back. just this same week we had the Katumbi Issue and Tendai issue, both are opposition political party leaders but one can clearly see double standards in dealing with the two issues by Zambia.
There is no way you can separate Zimbabwe from Zambia. The fact that we share borders means we will share everything. In the dark days of Zambia, Zimbabwe was flooded by Zambians. They were not denied entry and up to now there are lots of Zambians in this land. The problems in Zimbabwe are not for Zimbabweans alone they are problems for the region, SA included. They will only come to an end when reginal leaders are able to call a spade a spade rather. SADC is the biggest problem to call an unfair election fair. SADC made way for Mugabe in 2008 after he lost an election. Actually there is nothing special in Zambia now that Biti is seeking asylum. Its just asylum guys!!!!!!!!
Wait to hear what the British government will say about the stance the government took ,I have looked at the comments above.Let me educate my fellow citizens this is a very sensitive issue if not dealt properly because most Zimbabweans sought settlement in the United Kingdom claiming butality from the Mugabe regime so if you bloggers disagree with Dora Siliya then the British government will at fault to deny Zimbabweans asylum as Mugabe is no more the one the where using in there claims for asylum to live in the uk .let Biti face the law other you people exposing ignorance.There is no crisis in Zimbabwe,the opposition should have waited for the results to be announced as per the country’s constitution than causing anarchy.should Biti be allowed to claim asylum is the American government…
Clearly she is good at opening her legs and not her mouth. Mouth communicates what is in the brain but mu bongo nga tamuli bongo bongo better shut it.