Fresh evictions in Zimbabwe

FTER.

BY VIOLET GONDA
HARARE – As the world responded with horror to shocking pictures of last year’s Operation Murambatsvina released by Amnesty International last week, Mike Davies, chairperson of the Combined Harare Residents and Ratepayers Association reported that some of the victims of last year’s so-called clean up exercise were being evicted again.
“Armed ZRP details evicted a group of about 30 squatters living near Glen Norah on the banks of Mukuvisi. These are people who had been displaced after Murambatsvina and had erected a makeshift habitat. They were given two hours notice to get out and the police said they were coming back to burn down those structures,” he said. “There are also some dwelling/formal structures in Mbare where people are being evicted as well. So Murambatsvina is by no means over.” The news comes in the wake of satellite images providing the clearest possible evidence to date of the devastating impact of the Zimbabwean government’s policy of house demolitions. Amnesty International released images taken before and after Murambatsvina to show the wholesale destruction of Porta Farm, a large informal settlement just outside Harare and home to nearly 10 000 people. More than 850 structures were destroyed. At least 2.4 million people were affected by the operation. Most of them were dumped in remote rural areas while others are still eking out a miserable existence in squalid holding camps like Hopely Farm. Human rights groups, lawyers and church groups are denied little or no access to these holding camps. – SW Radio Africa