World Refugee Day commemoration live blog

0830: Delegates register for the event

0930: Guest of Honour arrives.

0940: Introductions begins. Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Simon Masanga, Secretary Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr A. Maronge, UNHCR Country Representative,Mr Boubacar Bamba, Commissioner for Refugees, Mr T. Tirivavi, WFP Country Director Ms Barbra Clemens and REPSSI Zimbabwe Country Director, Mrs S. Marunda are present.

0950.: DDC Mashava gives opening remarks.

0954: Tongogara Refugee Settlement Administrator Johanne Mhlanga give opening remarks.

“Tongogara Refugee Settlement is a multicultural, multilingual and mosaic institution with refugees and asylum seekers from the Great Lakes Region, Horn of Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa and beyond. The institution is home to 16,373 arefugees and asylum seekers who are biometrically registered,” he says.

1020: A tour of the irrigation area begins. 25ha of bean crop is flourishing.

1100: Guest of Honour officially commissions a classroom block at Tongogara Junior School.

1110: Planting of trees led by RCCA begins at the junior school.

1130: Delegates arrive at St Michaels Secondary School for the main function.

1140: Introductions of key stakeholders takes place.

1200: Delegates are being entertained by a cultural group from Rwanda.

1215: A speech by refugee-led organisations is being given.

1235: Entertainment by a Judo team

1240: A cultural group from DRC performs dances.

1245: Speech from community leaders is being given.

1250: Burundi cultural group performs.

1305. Judo team comes again to perform.

1315: Poetry by students take places.

1320: Cultural performance by DRC team tales place.

1330: The Guest of Honour is being introduced.

1335: Guest of Honour, Permanent Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Simon Masanga give his speech.

1350: Guest of Honour speech ends.13

1353: DRC team 2 perform some dances.

1400: World Refugee Days commemorations comes to an end.