‘I was told I was not Zimbabwean, and denied passport’: Olonga recounts ordeal at hands of diplomat

BY SPORTSCAST WRITER

HARARE – Former Zimbabwe cricketer Henry Olonga has claimed he was told by a diplomat that he was not a Zimbabwean and even had his passport renewal application rejected in the wake of his pro-democracy protest against the government.

Olonga has been brutally trolled by social media users after his widely circulated remarks on Saturday on BBC, which appeared to suggest that he no longer considered himself a Zimbabwean.

The ex-fast bowler made the comment while praising Zimbabwe’s fans for the fervent support of their team in the historic Test match against England at Trent Bridge in Northamptonshire, which finished in a heavy innings and 45 runs defeat for the touring African side.

Olonga, who was working for BBC as a pundit during the Test, said he was impressed by how the Zimbabwe supporters stood by their team during the three days of the match, despite feeling that “I’m not Zimbabwean anymore in a pure sense.”

Following the rather unkind feedback to his statement, Olonga has been forced explain that he had spoken tongue-in-cheek and out of displeasure at the way he was treated by Zimbabwean authorities after he fled the country in the aftermath of his protest in 2003 alongside teammate Andy Flower.

After a Facebook user asked if his statement on BBC meant he had denounced his Zimbabwean citizenship, Olonga replied: “No, I was told I was not Zimbabwean by a high commissioner. So I saw it like he did. Simple.”

The son of a Kenyan father and a Zimbabwean mother, the now 48-year-old Olonga was born in Zambian capital city Lusaka. He was however raised in Zimbabwe from an early age and had always proudly identified as a Zimbabwean. A gifted singer away from sport, Olonga composed a hit patriotic song in 2001, Our Zimbabwe, whilst he was still playing for the country.

His international cricket career came to an abrupt end when during a match at the 2003 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by Zimbabwe, the pace bowler and Flower wore black armbands to “mourn the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe.”

Both left the country in fear of persecution afterwards. Olonga, who claimed to have received death threats from people linked to the Zimbabwean government, initially immigrated to United Kingdom before settling in Australia. He didn’t clarify whether it was Zimbabwe’s high commissioner to Britain or to Australia who refused to renew his Zimbabwean passport after it had expired.

When another Facebook user sneered at Olonga in the flurry of backlash, saying he “wasn’t a Zimbabwean anyway” in the first place but rather a Zambian, the cricketer-turned-singer got clearly upset and retorted that it was such kind of comments that triggered his statement on BBC.

“That’s kinda the point though,” wrote Olonga. “Had people saying this all my life and then denied renewing my passport and constantly told by people like you I was never Zimbabwean anyway. Eventually I got the hint. Look at most comments here. That says it all doesn’t it? I never go where I am not invited or stay where I am not wanted. Play for country, write song for country, take stand for country, vilified for it. Threatened with death. So now I am living where what I have to offer is appreciated without question. Some of you will never understand and for that I give you grace. But you cannot have it both ways. Tell me I am not Zimbabwean and then I say the same thing you give me the side eye. Weird!”

The lives of the two former Zimbabwe cricket stars have taken contrasting paths since both made their stand in 2003. After leaving Zimbabwe, Flower played English county cricket for Essex and then went on to become a successful coach of England’s national team. He is presently one of the most sought-after coaches in world cricket and gets lucrative jobs coaching in the biggest franchise T20 tournaments across the globe. He has also since ended his self-imposed exile and regularly returns home to Zimbabwe to work as a TV commentator during international games, and visiting family members still in the country.

Olonga – the first black cricketer to represent Zimbabwe – has never returned since his departure 22 years ago. His life in cricket was effectively over after he exited Zimbabwean cricket, despite playing some non-professional games in the UK in the early years of living there. In an interview in the UK ahead of the Test between England and Zimbabwe last week, Olonga revealed that he now supplements his income by singing on cruise ships, and described himself as a “broke former cricketer.”

In 2015 Olonga permanently moved to Australia, where he lives in Adelaide with his Australian wife Tara and two children. While he has not gone back to Zimbabwe since 2003, Olonga told a reporter in a previous interview seven years ago that he was “old news” and unlikely to be harmed anymore if he decides to return.

Henry Olonga with his black armband during the 2003 World Cup.

His father John, a paediatrician, lives in their hometown, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city. So does his older brother Victor Olonga, one of Zimbabwe’s best ever rugby players and a former national team captain. Victor initially returned to Zimbabwe in 2009 after spending over a decade playing club rugby in England. Last month in a Facebook post, Henry commended his brother for his efforts to re-establish rugby at their alma mater, Plumtree School, 101km away from Bulawayo.

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