Categories: Stories

Zimbabwean who fought for Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan spared from deportation at the last minute

The Zimbabwean who fought for Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan but was due to be deported yesterday was removed from the bus before it left for Heathrow Airport at the last minute.

The Zimbabwean who has been identified as Joram Nechironga went to the United Kingdom in 2001 and served in the British army for five years, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nechironga suffered from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and developed a drinking problem. He served two years in prison for drink-driving offences and an assault on a family member.

Reports from Coventry say Nechironga was put on a bus to Heathrow airport last night bound for a mass deportation flight to Zimbabwe but was taken off the bus before it departed following the intervention of  his lawyers and Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana.

Nechironga said he was traumatized by the experience.

“It has traumatised me, I am suffering with PTSD ” he said. “They said they can’t let me go back to Coventry because they say I am high risk and might abscond. The way they are treating me, they are not giving me a chance. I will definitely be killed if I return (to Zimbabwe), there are no two ways about it…..

“I dedicated my life to fight for this country (Britain), which I love so much. I made a mistake yes, I am suffering from PTSD…why won’t they give me a chance? I feel like crying. It goes into my head. That PTSD that I suffered, every day I can’t sleep, the moment I want to sleep, I get flashbacks.”

(251 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on March 3, 2022 7:47 pm

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Britain says amendment of the Zimbabwean Constitution is a sovereign, legislative matter for Zimbabwe to decide

Britain says amendment of the Zimbabwe constitution is a sovereign, legislative matter for Zimbabwe to…

March 24, 2026

Who started the war?

It is now 47 years since I wrote the short story below for a South…

March 4, 2026

Zimbabwe 2026 monetary policy statement at a glance

Zimbabwe has released its 2026 monetary policy statement in which it seeks to stabilise its…

March 1, 2026

Was Chombo Mugabe’s number two?

Far from it, on paper that is. Ignatius Chombo was one of the longest serving…

February 6, 2026

Zimbabwe’s 2026 citizen’s budget

Zimbabwe on Thursday announced a ZiG290.9 billion budget with revenue expected to be ZiG287.6 billion,…

November 30, 2025

IMF says Zimbabwe’s economic recovery in 2025 is stronger than previously anticipated

The International Monetary Fund says Zimbabwe’s economic recovery in 2025 is stronger than previously anticipated…

November 8, 2025