South

Wilf has been in the UK for four years since fleeing Zimbabwe in fear of his life.

Following Inside Out's film about his weekly newspaper, "The Zimbabwean", Wilf has written about his experience of coming to Hampshire and starting a new life in the South of England.

NB The views expressed in this piece are the personal views of Wilf Mbanga and do not represent the views of the BBC

Wilf Mbanga

In this very personal account Wilf Mbanga tells his story...

After my own country declared me an enemy of the people towards the end of my year-long sabbatical at the Tilburg City of Refuge in the Netherlands in 2004, I was forced to find a country that would give me sanctuary until it was safe to return to the land of my birth.

My wife’s British ancestry made the UK an obvious choice. And as her ageing parents had left Zimbabwe a year previously and settled in the Southampton area – that was an obvious choice.

Coming from a land-locked country, the thought of living by the sea was an added attraction.

In addition, living outside London – away from the prying eyes of Mugabe’s much-despised Central Intelligence Organisation  – was imperative.

Utterly charming

The area has proved a complete delight.

Not only are there the docks and the water, where I love watching the ships go to and fro, but the New Forest too, with its ponies and plains – sometimes heartbreakingly reminiscent of Zimbabwe’s eastern highlands.

The little villages, with their weekend market stalls, and the winding lanes and thatched cottages are utterly charming.

The quintessential English cream teas soon became a particular favourite of mine – playing havoc with my cholesterol levels.

Zimbabwe wasn't a safe place for Wilf

Fortunately the wonderful National Health Service was at hand to keep it in check.

Amazing generosity

The warmth of my reception by the people in this area overwhelmed me.

Members of the Community Church in our neighbourhood welcomed my wife and me with amazing generosity – practically furnishing our home for us with everything from a washing machine to teaspoons, warm duvets to computer desks and chairs.

From our tiny living room in a rented semi-detached house, we began producing and distributing a serious, weekly tabloid, "The Zimbabwean", dedicated to disseminating accurate information about what was really happening in Zimbabwe.

It wasn’t long before I was appointed to the pastoral council at my local Catholic Church, which led to a chance meeting with a fellow parishioner who generously gave us her house rent-free for almost two years to enable us to concentrate all our resources on producing The Zimbabwean.

Safe and secure

We sleep peacefully at night here – confident that the neighbourhood is safe and secure.

In Zimbabwe, the rampant unemployment and inflation over the past 10 years has pushed the crime rate up enormously, and we always slept uneasily – expecting a visit from Mugabe’s people.

A feature in The Southern Daily Echo splashed my face around a bit and I enjoyed a number of pleasant chats with people in the supermarket who recognised me and came over to say hello and welcome to the UK.

We have found the people here in the South to be extremely friendly and helpful – from service providers in the banks and on buses to our neighbours and local shopkeepers, and fishermen on the beaches of whom I always enquire whether the fish are biting and when the tide will turn.

The sunny south!

My wife has been delighted with the many sunny days in the south.

We had feared a lot of grey skies and depressing darkness but found, to our delight, that the sun often shines in the south!

I do find the long winter quite a challenge – but the clothes and houses here are so well-geared for this that one does not have to suffer.

Mercifully we have been able to escape back to Africa for at least some part of the winter each year since we arrived.

Sadly a return to Zimbabwe has not yet been possible.   

NB The views expressed in this piece are the personal views of Wilf Mbanga and do not represent the views of the BBC