including rape, assaults, theft and having to bribe police in order not to be deported. They have no right of redress as they fear reporting these incidents. 8. South Africans: a history of exile South Africa was hosted in the sub region during their own struggle for freedom. Zimbabwean exiles have expressed disappointment that their own struggle for democracy is not being recognised as legitimate. PART THREE: The revolving door Part Three covers the experiences of Zimbabweans themselves and the process of going into exile. This includes: crossing the border; life in South Africa; access to health care; deportation; repatriation. It also raises the issue of Zimbabwean deaths in South Africa. 1. Crossing the border Zimbabweans face the hazards of the Limpopo in flood, crocodiles and human predators such as the “Maguma guma” and SANDF when entering South Africa illegally. Nonetheless hundreds do so every week. 2. Life in the big cities: Johannesburg and Durban This section describes the every day lives of: 26 political exiles living in one two-bedroomed apartment: a group of 31 blind Zimbabweans who live in one room; cross border traders in Durban. The very hard living conditions, lack of privacy and lack of security is apparent. It is astonishing that such lives are considered preferable to life in Zimbabwe, an indicator of both how afraid and how deprived people in Zimbabwe now are. 3. Musina: life in a small border town Most Zimbabweans pass quickly through Musina to other places. Those who remain are usually farm workers or unaccompanied minors. Some migrant workers have been working in this area for generations, but are now joined by politically displaced farm workers from parts of Zimbabwe that have not traditionally had farm labourers going to Musina Children aged 12 to 17 have formed informal groups here. They are hard to access, and very prone to deportation and wage exploitation. Many girls this age and older end up as sex workers. Girls also commonly report having to offer regular free sex to police and army in order not to be deported. 4. Access to health care A survey of 111 Zimbabweans conducted in August 2004 found that out of 55 who reported having needed public health care since they arrived in South Africa: 29 had accessed the public health care system 26 had not accessed it Out of the 26 who had not, 17 had been denied health care by a clinic or hospital, and 7 had reported they were too afraid of deportation to even approach a health centre; 2 had reported they were too poor to afford fees. Johannesburg hospital was the most likely to turn people away, and receptionists were the category of employee most likely to turn people away, for not having acceptable ID. 3 people reported verbal abuse from nursing staff, being called a “makwerekwere”. 11