Gaborone - EleBotswana likhala ngokuqonga kwenani labantu abazodinga ubuphepheli bebaleka emazweni afana leSouth Africa leZimbabwe lapho ababephiwe khona imvumo yokuba yiziphepheli.
Ekhuluma lenthathelizindaba ngoLwesibili, umphathintambo obona ngezokuqhutshwa komthetho kwele Botswana, uMnu. Machana Shamukuni, uthe inengi labadinga ubuphepheli labaleka enkambeni yeTongogara Refugee Camp eZimbabwe.
Uthi abantu laba bafika amakhulu ayisithupha - 600. Uthi abanye babaleke kwele South Africa lapho osekuqhamuke udlakela lubhekiswe kwabokuza.
“Ngodubo lwaziphepheli ezibaleka kwamanye amazwe, basitshela ukuthi indawo abahlala kizo azifanelanga. Kulabanye njalo, ikakhulu abeSomalia, ababaleke kweleSouth Africa besesaba udlakela olukhona ebantwini bokuza.”
UShamukuni uthi lokhu akuhambelani lemithetho yamazwe omhlaba ngoba iziphepheli ziyabe seziphiwe ilungelo lokuvikelwa kwelinye ilizwe. UShamukuni uthi kumhlophe ukuthi isimo enkambeni yeTongogara sixotsha inengi, ikakhulu abadabuka kwele Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Inengi labaleka enkambeni yeZimbabwe ebizwa ngokuthi Tongogara. Uzananzela ukuthi eDukwi, impilo yinhle, bephathwa kahle njengezizalwane zeBotswana, kugoqela imfundo lezempilakahle.”
Omunye oweZimbabwe okewahlala enkambeni yeDukwi Refugee Camp, okweminyaka phose engamatshumi amabili, Umnu. Watson Chibi, uthi iziphepheli ezivela kwamanye amazwe angaphandle komhlubulo weSouthern African Development Community baphathwa ngcono kwele Botswana.
“Sibona ukuthi eleBotswana libamba amarefugees ngokutshiyeneyo, kukhangelwe ukuthi uvela ngaphi. Thina amaZimbabweans sizwa ubuhlungu ukuthi ngabe eleBotswana lisipha usizo kulabantu abavela khatshana. Abantu abavela khatshana babanjwa kahle, thina sabuyiselwa ekhaya sibanjwa ngamandla, bona kabazange bebuyiselwe.”
Uthi ngesikhathi kulungiselelwa ukhetho eZimbabwe sekulodlakela olumangalisayo, kaboni ukuthi yena labanye bakhe bangaphenduka kweleBotswana.
“Kungaze kubenjani angiboni kulomuntu ongabuyela eDukwi. Sihlale iminyaka eminengi enkambeni singavunyelwa lokusebenza. Angiboni ukuthi umuntu owake wahlala eDukwi angafisa ukuphenduka.
Kodwa sizwa amahungahunga okuthi kukhona asebeqala ukuzodinga ubuphepheli kweleBotswana.”
EleBotswana lithi kusele ihlekana kuphela labe Zimbabwe enkambeni yeDukwi abalinde ukuthi bahlanganiswe kumphakathi weBotswana kumbe bahanjiswe kwelinye ilizwe.
Eminyakeni embili edluleyo kubuyiselwe abeZimbabwe abafika inkulungwane, inengi elalibaleke ekhaya ngesikhathi sodlakela lokhetho luka 2008.