Zola also suffers from depression and anxiety and these conditions are so severe that she has been hospitalised several times.

Zola relies on the psychiatric services and medication available to her in the UK that she has earned the right to by working legally and paying national insurance for many years. She is terrified of the harsh life that persists in Johannesburg, especially for a middle-aged, single, working class woman with mental health problems.

In 1993 the couple became estranged after her husband, an ANC activist, accused Zola of being an informer for the white government in South Africa. In 1994, when Zola's visa came due for renewal, her husband refused to sign the application. Fearing what might happen to her if she was returned to South Africa, Zola applied for political asylum.

In 1995, having completed his degree, Zola's husband returned to South Africa alone.
Zola's application for asylum was eventually refused in 1998. Her friends immediately started a campaign to allow her to remain in the UK and a large number of them petitioned the Home Office on her behalf. In 1999 Zola received a letter from her local MP, Alan Williams confirming that the Home Office were considering her situation and asking her to be patient and await their response. No response was ever received.

In 2005 Zola applied for residence in the UK under the '14 year rule'. This application was refused in 2007 with the Home Office claiming that the previous refusal in 1998 debarred Zola from qualifying under the '14 year rule'.

Using this technicality to deport a vulnerable woman who is law-abiding, kind, and loved by all who know her is cruel beyond belief.

Swansea is Zola's home now. All her friends are here; her job is here; her flat is here; and her church is here. She is described as "a wonderful neighbour", "a loyal friend", "an extremely hard worker" and "generally a good member of the community". Exactly the kind of person we want in our city.

Zola relies on the psychiatric services and medication available to her in the UK that she has earned the right to by working legally and paying national insurance for many years.

She is terrified of the harsh life that persists in South Africa, especially for a middle-aged, single, working class woman with mental health problems.

Without your help Zola could be forcibly removed within a couple of weeks. We believe that this would be utterly inhumane, and a violation of her basic human rights. Zola has earned the right to call Swansea her home, and Swansea is a better place with people like her in it.

"The Home Office do listen to public opinion, and if they know lots of people support her fight to remain here, it could make the difference between her staying and going.

What you can do to help:
1) Print off copies of the attached model letter to, Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, Secretary of State for the Home Office, you can copy/amend/write your own version; if you do so, please remember to include the HO Ref M604145.

Sign the model letter and get your friends to sign copies and return to the campaign office, when enough letters are gathered the campaign will ask a local MP to present them to Jacqui Smith.

2) Print of the attached petition , get as many signatures as you can.

Return model letters/petitions to:

Asylum Justice
(Friends of Zola)
C/o YMCA
St Helen's Road
Swansea
SA1 5JQ

 friendsofzola@ntlworld.com

Source for this page: Friends of Zola Gidi

End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
Friends of Zola Gidi