I'm here!

I don't know quite what I expected in my first 48hrs in the country, but possibly not stepping off the plane and into an epicentre of one of southern Africa's most pressing political crisis: the effects of Roberts Mugabe's Zimbabwe!

On Tuesday, I visited Johannesburg's central methodist church. It has become home to over one thousand asylum seekers and economic migrants - the majority from Zimbabwe. During the day the many floors of the church are bustling but apparently at night, almost every floor space and stair well of the 4 floor building is filled wall to wall. This week the UN indicated that the exdous from Zimbabwe is set expected to increase, building on the 3 million people who have already fled the country (about a quarter of Zimbabwe's population). They indicated much more will be need to be done in response - quite!

I was at the church to attend the clinic which runs once a week. My Mum, being a nurse, has recently started helping run the clinic. The church's population have a range of health problems. Many came complaining of colds but some attended with suspected AIDS illnesses and TB, often in the last stages of their disease and having never having seen a doctor before.

Treatment and referral is complex and involves a combination of identifying other friendly clinics, ringing other doctors for favors and negotiating the South African home affairs department to obtain refugee status. Refugee status is important for patients to secure easier access to treatment and increase a chance of finding income and food. For example, one man we saw came in was severely underweight, panting for breath just sitting in the clinic chair and complaining of a cough and night sweats.... TB was highly likely and HIV probable. He was drawn a map to a local clinic that does not charge user fees for HIV and TB testing. Then told to come back with the results to be able to visit a clinic run by the 'Sisters of Nazareth', a Catholic church funded clinic, on the other side of town who could start him on ARVs. Meanwhile he was advised to go 55 Km to Pretoria to start the process of seeking aslyum. There are many personal stories in the South African press.

Politically, it is hard to assess what the impact of the church has been or will be. Locally, there are apparently rumors of discontent about the church being used the way it is, and the bishop is quick to upturn myths about refugees - indicating for example there are enough teachers living in the church to run a small school. Nationally, it has been used, unsurprisingly as an example of a growing humanitarian crisis. In fact, Paul Verryn, the bishop of the church was part a protest about the South Africa government's lack of support for this vulnerable population, earlier this month. But definitions such as refugee are difficult. Legally, many in the church are there often because they simply could not find food in Zimbabwe and so be classed as "economic migrants" as apposed to "well founded fear of persecution" needed to be proved for refugee status. Politically, the South Africa government defining them as refugees and starting "refuge camps" may upset its current attempts to conduct "quiet diplomacy" with Zimbabwe. You can read about the unfolding of the debate here. Meanwhile, the church will continue to be a de facto refugee camp in the heart of the city.

If you're interested in visiting the church too....

.....watch this video, it gives a good insight into life in the church. (yes, no prizes for recognizing the jorno may be related)