|
Back to Index
Background history to Porta farm incident
Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition
September 14, 2004
History has it that
in 1991 there was a thorough clean up of the City of Harare in preparation
for Queen Elizabeth’s Royal visit. In this respect, the then Town Clerk
Mr. Kanengoni regarded Tagarira Flats in Mbare and Epworth as an eye sore
to the dignitaries hence a plan was hatched up to move the residents of
the said places to Porta Farm where they would be out of sight.
In 1992 the residents
of Tagarira Flats and part of Epworth were allegedly moved to Porta Farm
where they would stay for 3 months then move to more decent accommodation
which would been have built by the Government. In 1993 only a ¼ of the
Porta Farm population is said to have moved to Dzivarasekwa Cabin houses
that were erected by the Government.
Come 1995, the City
of Harare authorities started labeling the Porta Farm residents as illegal
settlers. They attempted to evict them. The residents had to go through
the courts with the help of ZimRights Lawyers and managed to get a court
order to stay at Porta Farm.
On the 2 August 2004
Minister of Local Government Minister Chombo, 3 soldiers, 4 policeman,
District Administrator Muchaninga, Resident Minister Mangwende and Member
of Parliament Sabina Mugabe are said to have held a meeting with Porta
Farm residents at Mufelandaonye offices at Porta Farm. At the meeting
the residents were allegedly given 2 weeks notice to vacate the Farm.
No questions or comments were allowed. It was a directive. The Minister
allegedly said they would move the people to 11 farms designated for that
purpose.
After the high-powered
delegation had left they considered that they were divided into 5 housing
co-operatives. In each group it is said that there were to be 3 signatories
for the purposes of banking the money with Beverly, which they get through
income generating activities for construction of their own houses. So
to be relocated to 11 Farms haphazardly would derail their housing projects.
The residents then
channeled their appeal to be resettled in the same vicinity to the Ministry
of Local Government through authorities of Dialogue on shelter for the
homeless. An urgent meeting was called at the Ministry of Local government
on 4 August 2004. Present were representatives from Porta Farm:
Susan Magomani, Matthew
Chadambuka, Constance Jameson, Mr. Sibanda from Ministry of Local Government,
high Ranking Army official, High Ranking Police official, representatives
from Ministry of Health, representative from Ministry of Education.
After the issue was
tabled it is alleged that Mr. Sibanda from Ministry of Local Government
opted for people to be moved to Caledonia Farm. The army was assigned
to move people to Caledonia before the 15th. The army official
is said to have reiterated that he did not see any sense in removing people
from their shelter to a place with no shelter. Mrs Sibanda is said to
have responded saying that the people could make do with plastic shacks
whilst building permanent homes.
Representatives from
Ministry of Health raised their concerns on supply of safe water to drink
and sanitation. Its said the response they got from Ministry of Local
Government was that they could sink boreholes and erect Blair toilets.
This was said to be a non-starter considering the type of soil. The experts
allegedly said the water in the Blair toilets would mix with borehole
water causing serious health problems.
Representatives from
Ministry of Education are said to have sited that at Porta Farm 150 grade
7 pupils have registered to sit for their exams and 50 form 4 students
have registered to sit for their exams and it was not going to be possible
for students to be transferred to other schools. In response it is alleged
that representative gave no clear answer from Ministry of Local Government.
It was also noted that Caledonia is not under City of Harare instead its
under Ruwa Rural Council so nothing concrete could be decided on, with
no representative from Ruwa Rural Council. Hence officials from the Min
of Local Government, a Mr. Sibanda proposed that another meeting held
on 11/08/04 at Caledonia Farm.
Present at the meeting
at Caledonia Farm were representatives from,
- Min of Health
- Min of Education
- Min of Local Government
- Vice Resident chairperson
- Chadambuka (Porta Farm)
- Treasurer – Magomani
- Dialogue on Shelter
for the Homeless.
The above-mentioned
members were allegedly shown around. The following issues raised:
- No schools in the
vicinity. The children of the war vets who are staying at Caledonia
Farm cannot be accommodated at Tafara or Mabvuku because schools there
are assumed to be already full
- No provision of
clean water and sanitation
- Sibanda has no
solutions for the above mentioned concerns hence another meeting was
proposed to be held at Caledonia the following Wednesday 18/08/04 and
the notice period to vacate the farm was extended
On the 18th of August,
another meeting was held at Tong Ville Office, Caledonia farm. From the
meeting it was proposed that the 25 children who are in the orphanage
at Porta Farm could be housed in the farmhouse.
Health Officials queried
the provision of proper water and sanitary conditions. Mr. Sibanda was
said to have responded saying as for the water to drink the children could
drink from the fishpond and temporary Blair toilets could be erected.
The offer was then declined by the health officials.
Another meeting was
set for the following Wednesday at Caledonia Farm.
On the 25th
of August all the representatives came except from the Min of Local Government.
Instead Mr. Sibanda phoned saying that war vets have been assigned to
peg the area for the newcomers from Porta Farm
On checking with the
war vets whether they had started pegging the land, they were allegedly
very furious. They cited that Caledonia Farm was only for people in Mabvuku
and Tafara. The war vets are said to have threatened the Porta Farm people
with death if they dared to move to Caledonia Farm and they threatened
that they can go and bulldoze their way into Minister Chombo’soffice.
The War vets blamed the Government for the whole commotion.
After 4 days, Sibanda
and other war vets went to Porta Farm and told the people at Porta farm
they are going to be relocated to any of the 11 Farms whether they liked
it or not. People retaliated by staging a demonstration. Porta Farm people
then sought assistance from Amnesty International were they were referred
to a Lawyer. The case went through the courts and the Porta Farm people
were issued a court order to wait for 10 days.
On Friday the 3rd
of September 2004 it is alleged that the member in Charge at Norton Police
Station by the name Makuku, Youth Militia from Mbare and Epworth and Riot
Police totaling around 40 went to Porta Farm geared to evict the occupants.
As a result of their action, 3 houses were burnt, buildings were demolished
and they are said to have fired gunshots in the air and they also used
tear gas. The occupant’s fought back by throwing objects to the law enforcing
agents until the Police retreated.
The altercation resulted
in the instant death of a man named Raphael who had been ill from TB for
a long time. An infant is said to have died a day after the incident most
probably from inhalation tear gas. Other 6 subsequent deaths were reported
of debilitated people who inhaled the tear gas. 2 women are said to have
had miscarriages most probably due to tremendous mental stress.
On the day of the
battle, Obert Chinhamo, an Official from Amnesty International was trying
to assess the situation and was apprehended and beaten up. He was accused
of having incited the people at Porta Farm into refusing to be relocated
to any new area.
On the very same day,
the Member In Charge at Norton Police Station resurfaced at Porta Farm
in company of a Lawyer. Makuku addressed the people saying that the Police
had meant to demolish dwellings of people who had already vacated the
Farm.
What is left at Porta
Farm are people who are mentally traumatized and are not even sure of
what the following day holds for them.
Visit the Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
