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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Operation Murambatsvina - Countrywide evictions of urban poor - Index of articles
NANGO
meeting on operation "murambatsvina" with government ministers
Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR)
June 25, 2005
Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights attended a meeting under NANGO on Wednesday
15 June, the NGO umbrella body in Zimbabwe at Silveira House in
Chishawasha. Silveira House, they say, has been a listening place
for the past forty years in civic and political matters. Government
ministers present overturned the legacy as they displayed arrogance
and their presentations and responses were an intimate manifestation
of deceit and chicanery
The
National Association of Non Governmental Organisations hosted a
meeting at Silveira house to map a way forward on the on going operation
"murambatsvina". The meeting witnessed an eclectic representation
of various sectors of Zimbabwean society that included Minister
of Local Government Dr Chombo, Minister of Agriculture Dr Made,
Resident Minister for Harare province Dr Karimanzira, Deputy Minister
of Home Affairs Mr Marumahoko, Government officials from Ministry
of Social welfare and other ministries, church representatives,
human rights groups, donor community and other NGOs.
The
meeting began with a presentation by Mr Mudehwe the Director of
NANGO who gave an insightful presentation on the various groups
of people affected by the demolitions and evictions that have been
happening since 20 May 2005. Mr Mudehwe gave the categories of the
different affected groups that include lodgers, vendors, informal
traders, street children, child headed households and many others.
He also gave a helicopter view of the effects of the demolitions
and evictions. These included issues of absenteeism from work, an
increase in rentals and wages, loss of income by those whose businesses
have been closed, school disruptions for school children, child
headed households, disruptions of family life including psychological
torture and the disruptions of HIV and AIDS treatment for those
on ARVs as they can no longer access treatment due to displacement.
Those whose houses have been destroyed now spend most of their time
guarding their property and they have now ceased to be property
owners but property bearers.
On
the way forward Mr Mudehwe said that there is need for emergency
support for the affected persons. He said that the situation of
the holding camp established at Caledonia farm in Harare was appalling
and that this has to be attended to immediately as more than 100
families have been put into this camp. He also questioned the rational
by government on the issue of destruction and construction at the
same time, " What is the time frame for the same hammer that
is used to bring down bricks to be used in putting a nail down the
roof of the constructed house where those from the destroyed hose
will stay" he asked. He ended by saying that there is need
of disclosing the framework of reconstruction so that people are
in the know.
Afterwards
Dr Chombo the Minister of Local Government gave his presentation,
which was punctuated more by palaver than sincerity. Dr Chombo said
that the operation is not going to stop he said it is better to
withstand the pain and get the issue over with. He said that the
operation was necessitated by the illegal activities that were happening
in the cities. He gave a plethora of the activities and these included
illegal shacks, illegal houses in illegal places, illegal vending,
illegal foreign currency dealing etc etc
In
agreement with Dr Made the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Chombo said
that the government has acquired 65 farms around Harare for housing
stands and by the end of the week they will be releasing 30 000
stands to people on the waiting list. He said that government has
set up various committees in the provinces to oversee the operation
and these include committees on social welfare, committees on land
identification, committees on building etc.
The
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs under whose ministry the police
fall under gave his views on the operation saying it was long overdue
because of the illegal activities that were happening. He said that
since the operation commenced cases of armed robbery have decreased
in Zimbabwe. The Deputy minister said that the police are supposed
to be professional and not exercise brutality in dealing with people
during the operation.
It was the question
and answer segment that was the highlight of the meeting as people
asked questions of the government ministers. A church representative
asked what they should do when people come for assistance at their
parish and Dr Chombo said that giving those people shelter is tantamount
to pulling the opposite direction of the government as it is the
duty of the police and ministry of social welfare to oversee those
people. Dr Chombo abruptly interjected a woman from the housing
cooperatives when she made reference to an area in Victoria Falls
where a cooperative was able to finance water provision and sewerage
but Dr Chombo said that the area needs to be demolished, as the
shacks are an eyesore. A representative from Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights asked Dr Chombo a question on the legality of the operation
but the minister said "You want to trap me, you are the guys
who have taken us to court, lets meet in the court, you and me cannot
discuss anything". The ministers shot down every objective
question in mockery. Another person from ZimRights was abruptly
dismissed by Dr Chombo and Dr Karimanzira after introducing himself
as a representative from ZimRights and he couldn’t even ask a question.
The same happened with the representative from the Combined Harare
Residence Association (CHRA) who was dismissed by Dr Chombo who
said , " Ndimi vanhu vanotitutka painternet tinazvo zvose
izvozvo" meaning "you are the people who write rubbish
about us on the internet, we have all your internet documents".
It was at this point that most participants in the meeting started
moving out including the writer of this report. The meeting continued
but its futility was objectively manifest at this point to warrant
discontinuing our participation.
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