African man claims he is a victim of love

An African man is claiming discrimination, injustice, and says that he is being robbed of the love of his wife, as he has been languishing in jail for close to two years, but a high ranking national security official says that the man is a fraud.{{more}}

A letter reached SEARCHLIGHT, in which a man, who gave his name as Solomon Mbeki, said he is from Africa, and is an inmate at Her Majesty’s Prisons, awaiting deportation. He alleges that he has been detained for more than a year and a half, despite being married to a citizen of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The undated letter, captioned “This is injustice, this is unfair – a cry from prison”, laments what one man says are his trials and tribulations, and his need to released into the Vincentian society or sent home.

According to the letter, Mbeki is married to Vincentian Shevorne Phillips. Weeks after the marriage, Mbeki claims that he was picked up by Immigration and has been awaiting deportation ever since.

Mbeki claims in the letter that his rights, and those of his wife, are being violated and jeopardized. He asks why were he and wife allowed to be married, then denied the opportunity to live together.



Mbeki claims that he has been accused of marrying for convenience, bigamy, drug trafficking and money laundering – all of these allegations he has denied in his letter.

“This looks like discrimination to me,” the letter states. “It is a pity that Africans are being maltreated in this country, yet we talk of emancipation.”

But SEARCHLIGHT’s source in the Ministry of National Security says that the name given by the writer of the letter is not his real name, and that the South African passport he entered this country with was stolen.

Our source says that efforts to determine his true identity have proved futile, since he keeps giving them different names.

Efforts to deport the man failed on two occasions, and officials are calling on Mbeki to reveal his true identity so that they can arrange to have him returned to his country of origin.

As regards his marriage, the official stated that they have determined that it was a marriage of convenience, and that if there is true love between him and his wife, he should speak the truth, and when he is sent home, his wife can join him there – wherever that may be.

Mbeki’s wife, Shevorne, 26, of Redemption Sharpes, insists, however, that what she and her husband share is the genuine article, true love.

Shevorne, who works at a jewelry store in Kingstown, says that Mbeki is 41 years old and is from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Shevorne told SEARCHLIGHT they were married in December 2005. She said three months later, Solomon was picked up, and he has been detained ever since.

Shevorne says that she doesn’t know of Solomon having any other wives, and that she has never known him to be involved in drugs. She said that she hopes her husband could be released from prison, if only for one week, so that he can get himself organized, so that they can return to Africa.

The authorities are, however, saying, sure, we will gladly send you back, once we know the truth about who you are, and where you truly belong.

Until then, the man known as Solomon, will remain at Her Majesty’s Prisons.