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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Operation Murambatsvina - Countrywide evictions of urban poor - Index of articles
Harare
in bid to conceal evidence of blitz
Takawira
Mapfumo, The Zimbabwe Independent
September 02, 2005
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/news/2005/September/Friday2/3091.html
HARARE City
Council's move to fine victims of the government-driven clean-up
exercise for uncollected rubble from their backyards has sparked
massive dumping of rubbish and rubble in public places in the high-density
suburbs.
Residents of
Mbare have resorted to dumping rubble and uncollected refuse at
open spaces such as road junctions, schoolyards and market places
to avoid the charges.
At George Stark
High School for example, almost half a soccer pitch is covered with
rubble.
The commission
running the affairs of the city announced numerous dubious rates,
among them a $3 million penalty for uncollected rubble.
Civic groups
have attacked the commission chaired by Sekasai Makwavarara arguing
that there is no logical justification for the inhuman treatment
of residents, especially at the hands of a local authority which
has failed to provide basic services.
"It's either
they (council) are trying to destroy the evidence that Operation
Murambatsvina ever took place ahead of the much talked about (UN
secretary-general Kofi) Annan's visit to Harare or this is a fund-raising
project," said Joseph Ross of the Combined Harare Residents Association
(CHRA).
Ross said that
the strategies being employed by the council in this seemingly fund-raising
project are pathetic as they cannot sustain long-term goals.
The city declared
that it was broke twice this year, resulting in delayed salaries.
In April, salaries
had to be paid directly from rates-collecting halls.
CHRA this week
called on the residents to boycott paying the "unjustified" rates
to council saying there was no transparency in the collection of
the penalties.
The city council
has threatened those who fail to comply with arrests or losing their
houses, a threat frowned upon by CHRA.
"Council does
not have the legality to confiscate any house besides the ones that
they built for their own workers. They are just taking advantage
of people's ignorance of their rights," CHRA said.
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