of Harare.
“On Monday residents of the settlement informally known as Porta Extension were served with 24-hour eviction notices by the Kuwadzana District Office. It is as yet unclear what the reasons, legal or otherwise, for the evictions are. The notices are unprocedural, are not even presented on official letterheads of the City of Harare, and are signed by an unidentified official,” said ZLHR.
They said they were particularly concerned that the evictions were being done at a time when the government had officially declared Operation Murambatsvina over.
“The Zimbabwean authorities have said they are in the process of rebuilding under their controversial and limited Operation Garikai project,” said the statement.
It condemned the 24-hour notice of eviction as “grossly inadequate and unprocedural, and a travesty of administrative justice” and said the affected residents were being denied their right to protection of the law under section 18(1) of the Zimbabwe Constitution 1980 insofar as they were being evicted without due process of law. There is no court order for their eviction as is required under domestic law and in terms of international treaties to which Zimbabwe is a State Party. There are countless court orders and precedents prohibiting their eviction in the absence of suitable alternatives provided by the State.
“In addition, with the onset of the rainy season, these families will be denied their right to shelter, exposed to the elements of weather and rendered internally displaced persons,” said the lawyers.
They condemned the unlawful actions and called on the authorities to “cease their unlawful actions and guarantee suitable alternative accommodation for the families before they are removed from their places of settlement.
The ZLHR Public Interest Litigation Unit has filed an urgent application to prevent the evictions and destruction of property on behalf of the affected families. – Own correspondent
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