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UN to assess clean-up
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
June 21, 2005

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=44535&pubdate=2005-06-21

A special envoy of the United Nations secretary-general Mr Kofi Annan will soon visit Zimbabwe to assess the ongoing clean-up operation after the Government agreed to a request by the world body’s chief to allow the special envoy to undertake the tour.

Mrs Anna Kagumulo Tibaijuka, the executive director of UN-Habitat, will visit Zimbabwe to study the clean-up operation after which a UN technical team is expected to make a follow-up tour.

Government and local authorities recently embarked on the clean-up operation to deal with urban squalor, rising crime, illegal businesses, foreign currency abuses in the informal sector and general lawlessness stemming from failure by people to observe council by-laws.

The Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde George Charamba yesterday said the Zimbabwean Government had agreed to a request by the UN secretary-general for Mrs Tibaijuka’s visit.

"We have, against the background of the misplaced hue and cry over Operation Murambatsvina and an apparent reluctance by the Western media that the Zimbabwean Government has put in place measures to rehabilitate and accommodate the people affected by the operation, agreed to receive the (UN) secretary-general’s special envoy on the matter," said Cde Charamba.

The request by Mr Annan followed telephone calls he recently made to President Mugabe expressing anxiety over Operation Murambatsvina, also called Operation Restore Order.

But President Mugabe allayed Mr Annan’s fears and told him that no Zimbabwean would be prejudiced.

The Herald is reliably informed that the President told Mr Annan he was surprised that the UN boss was only concerned about the Zimbabwean situation when similar operations were being held in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Kenya.

However, Cde Mugabe agreed to Mr Annan’s request to send his special envoy to study the situation and said the UN would be welcome to assist if it thinks it could.

Mr Annan’s request to send a special envoy comes in the wake of immense pressure from western countries for the world body’s chief to pronounce himself and denounce Operation Murambatsvina.

A few months ago there were attempts by some western countries to induce the President of the UN Security Council to give a briefing on drought relief and humanitarian assistance and name Zimbabwe as a case of concern to the Security Council.

This followed reports that some western powers had made proposals for the UN to adopt a measure they call "responsibility to protect", a concept intended to sidestep the sovereignty of states and intervene in their affairs in cases of humanitarian emergencies or human rights violations.

Attempts by the west to have the UN Security Council name Zimbabwe as a case of concern over humanitarian issues was thwarted by African and Asian countries.

The United Nations Development Programme office in Zimbabwe confirmed yesterday that Mrs Tibaijuka would be visiting the country.

"The Secretary General has appointed Mrs Anna Kagumulo Tibaijuka, the executive director of the UN-Habitat as his Special Envoy for Human Settlement Issues in Zimbabwe. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has agreed that this special envoy of the Secretary General should visit the country to study the scope of the recent evictions of illegal dwellers, informal traders and the squatters; and the humanitarian impact it has had on the affected population.

"Mrs Tibaijuka will visit Zimbabwe shortly and will prepare a thorough report on the situation," UNDP Zimbabwe public affairs and advocacy officer Ms Katherine Anderson said in a statement.

Since the launch of the operation, Government and local authorities have mobilised resources and started to build alternative factory shells for use by informal traders and houses for the displaced residents.

The Herald understands that provision for alternatives to the affected people has taken a multi-sectoral approach with the Zimbabwe National Army Engineering Corps and the Zimbabwe Prison Services construction unit engaged to help building brigades and the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development to construct alternative factory and housing facilities.

Dates of Mrs Tibaijuka’s visit are still to be fixed but she is expected in the country next week.

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