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Gamu

Gamu to face firing squad

Monday 11 October 2010

For a special few, the X Factor turns a lifelong dream of becoming a global star into a reality. But for Gamu Nhengu, that dream has turned into a nightmare and it doesn’t look as though it's ending anytime soon.

Just months ago, it seemed that the 18-year-old had the world at her feet. Her quirky audition, ‘Walking on Sunshine,’ made her a YouTube sensation and a hit with us all here at Closer! She breezed through to the judge’s houses, but narrowly missed out on a place in the live shows which left her heartbroken and a lot of us very disappointed.

Now though, she has a bigger heartbreak to deal with. After the Home Office refused to renew her mum Noku’s visa since discovering she wrongly claimed state benefits, she now faces deportation back to Zimbabwe.

Talking to the News of the World, Gamu said she faces the problems: “just because I tried to something that I wanted, that I loved.”

We think it’s really sad to see that chasing her dream of becoming a global superstar, has led to the complete opposite. She insists that being deported back to the country her family fled will mean President Robert Mugabe will have a firing squad waiting for her family.

“I’ve been in the public eye now and people there know I’ve fled Mugabe’s regime. They will punish us if we go back. They’re going to know where we are.

“We’re going to be very unsafe. People have already been approaching our family members. We think they could be working for Mugabe. And we know how brutal he can be. I would be in danger, it’s blatantly obvious. My family would be in danger.

“There’s a firing squad waiting for us there and they’re putting me in front of it,” she added.

Last week, it was reported that Gamu’s story had sparked X-Factor bosses, as well as, judges Simon Cowell and Cheryl to help her family, with Simon allegedly offering his legal team.

But Gamu said: “I have had no calls from Cheryl or from Simon. I haven’t spoken to any of the big producers either. But I hear Simon’s lawyers are trying to help.”

So now it’s just a waiting game as Gamu and her family are now pinning their hopes on winning their case to stay in Britain, at the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh.

Come on Simon, get involved and help Gamu out!

Do you love Gamu? What are your thoughts on her situation, tell us here...

By Conor White

Readers CommentsReaders Comments

Posted by Kristy

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

Just because she can sing, it does not make it OK for her mother to come to England and fraudulently claim state benefits. If this was any other immigrant, no one would care about her being kicked out of the country.

If her family are allowed to stay (which I'm not against), her mother should be made to work and pay back every single penny of the benefits she claimed, with interest.

Posted 11/10/2010 12:46:15

Posted by samhxx

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

Couldn't Agree More Kristy! x

Posted 11/10/2010 12:53:35

Posted by n.s

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

I agree as well. She has admitted her visa ran out in August,
it's not a given that they will renew in automatically, especially if they find out benifits have been claimed falsely.
She decided herself to enter the competition knowing it could make her famous, no one forced her, her and her mother should have thought of the consequences before she went in for it. Maybe it would be nice for x factor to get in touch with her, but she is not their responsibility now. This is all of own and her mother's making. I'm sorry but if
you're doing something illegal for God sake don't go on national television, then blame everyone else when it goes
wrong.

Posted 11/10/2010 15:04:16

Posted by sandy222

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

Deport illegals - simples.

Posted 12/10/2010 10:13:06

Posted by shinning star

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

just because her mother was claimin benifits for her does not mean gamu knew what she was doing all she wanted to do was give her mother back what she gave her wich use are not considering this which i dont think is so bad . And for people saying they are glad she didnt go through because she didint have a personality its not a personality contest its a singing contest which she done far better that any one on that show !!

Posted 12/10/2010 13:37:26

Posted by n.s

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

I don't know her mentioned her personality, but If they did I agree that's not the point, her singing is obviously. I did say I thought she was sweet, but that's not the point either. It's a shame her mother didn't have the sense to warn her not to go on the show, she obviously knew what she had been doing even if Gamu didn't. I don't know whether it's thickness or arogance, but how the hell did they think they
would get away with her going on national tv? Maybe they thought they would definately get their visa if she did well?
I do feel sorry for her, I know she is only chasing her dream, but people in this country are getting sick of illegal imigrants
and scroungers, whether they can sing or not. You can't break the rules just because someone is talented.

Posted 12/10/2010 13:53:43

Posted by sugar sweet

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

i dont understand how her going on the x factor has led to this?? surely when peoples visas are put up for renewal they are investigated thoroughly anyway?

Posted 12/10/2010 16:47:39

Posted by Threads

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

Give Gamu a job - any job and allow her to stay to pay back her mothers fraud claims, make a new life for herself and possibly get back onto X Factor next year. Send the mother back.

Mugabe will punish all, but it is not the 'sins' of the child that he will punish, but the 'sins' of the parents, so leave the 'innocent' here to work, repay and become part of society and allow the parent to face Mugabe IF he is to be faced at all - asylum has to be approved initially, and if Gamu's family were allowed Asylum 8 years ago and the threat still exists, then there is no reason why they should be deported anyway - they never were 'illegals', but from the comments here it appears that Gamu's mother has fraudulently claimed benefits , and she should be dealt with just like any other UK citizen guilty of benefit fraud, not deported to face a potential threat to her life - she isn't threatening my/your life is she?

Posted 13/10/2010 13:45:20

Posted by sugar sweet

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

no shes not but if they let every person/ family stay who did this and not deport them then we would be bled dry! (as if were not already) it cant be one rule for some and one for others thats just not fair!

Posted 13/10/2010 14:15:49

Posted by CHICHESTER

RE: Gamu to face firing squad

I'm confused were they granted asylum or a student visa? Whatever they have done wrong and should be punished but isn't it funny that all of a sudden when there is the threat of deportation they bring out the 'I will be shot' card. I am sick of these people coming to this country abusing our system and then crying when they get found out. We wouldn't get away with it in their country. We are far too lenient here and need to toughen up, the mother claiming benefit fraudulently has robbed somebody that was in real need.

Posted 18/10/2010 06:14:17



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