'Infiltration' makes Zimbabwean group stop meeting

By WAYNE THOMPSON

An Auckland support group for people who fled Zimbabwe has cancelled its monthly meetings because they believed they were being gatecrashed by Zimbabwe Government agents.

The meetings have been going for a year and in the past three months have drawn about 100 people at a time.

But support group convenor Jenny McGladdery said the gatherings had been cancelled because of "a security risk to our members".

President Robert Mugabe's agents had attacked and harassed Zimbabweans in England, she said.

This could happen in New Zealand, and it also exposed family members in Zimbabwe to violence.

Mrs McGladdery said she had sought protection from an Auckland police threats assessment officer but an offer of a police presence at meetings came too late to stop their cancellation.

The only comment police would make to the Herald was that no Zimbabweans had complained about safety fears.

Mrs McGladdery, aged 63, a retired physiotherapist, and her husband, Alan, formed the Zimbabweans Support Charitable Trust after coming to New Zealand two years ago.

She will continue to run a telephone advisory service and three depots to distribute toys, linen, kitchenware and furniture to needy Zimbabweans.