Operation Murambatsvina
Encyclopedia
Operation Murambatsvina also officially known as Operation Restore Order, is a large-scale Zimbabwe
an government campaign to forcibly clear slum
areas across the country. The campaign started in 2005 and according to United Nations
estimates has affected at least 700,000 people directly through loss of their home or livelihood and thus could have indirectly affected around 2.4 million people. Robert Mugabe
and other government officials characterize the operation as a crackdown against illegal
housing
and commercial activities, and as an effort to reduce the risk of the spread of infectious disease in these areas.
However, the campaign has met with harsh condemnation from Zimbabwean opposition parties, church groups, non-governmental organization
s, and the wider international community
. The United Nations has described the campaign as an effort to drive out and make homeless
large sections of the urban and rural poor, who comprise much of the internal opposition to the Mugabe administration.
Zimbabweans refer to the operation as "Zimbabwe's Tsunami
", in reference to the devastation which followed the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
. The crackdown has affected most of the major cities in the country, and the Zimbabwean government has stated its intention to widen the operation to include rural farming areas. Estimates of the number of people affected vary considerably. The latest United Nations
figures estimate that it has led to the unemployment of 700,000 people and affected a further 2.4 million people countrywide. Earlier, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum estimated that 64,677 families had been displaced, representing a total of approximately 323,385 people (this estimate was based on figures from 45 locations). However, according to the police only 120,000 people have been affected.
Whichever figures are correct, large numbers of people have been affected, all of whom are in need of emergency relief and resettlement following the loss of their homes and livelihood. The clearances have been condemned both internally and internationally. A report written by Anna Tibaijuka
, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
, was handed to the Zimbabwean government on July 21, 2005. Excerpts from the report, which calls for all demolitions to be stopped immediately, were made public the following day and describe the operation as a "disastrous venture" which has violated international law
and led to a serious humanitarian crisis
. The actions of the government are described as indiscriminate, unjustified and conducted without regard for human suffering. The Washington Post on February 7, 2008, described how some men and women displaced from Harare
are now walking 28 km (17.4 mi) - 5 hours round-trip every day to work (furthermore without breakfast), because the individual bus fare for one day now costs nearly a week's wages - ZW
$10 million.
were held there. The Harare Commission led by Sekesai Makwavarara is currently running the affairs of the City of Harare
despite the fact that there is a pending application to the High Court questioning its authority to do so. The Commission itself was appointed by Ignatious Chombo
, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, leading one Zimbabwean newspaper to comment that "President Mugabe, through the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Ignatious Chombo, is now effectively in control of the City of Harare".
Mugabe said the clearances are needed to carry out "a vigorous clean-up campaign to restore sanity" and he has described the program as an "urban renewal campaign." Chombo has described the operation in terms of 'restoring order': "It is these people who have been making the country ungovernable by their criminal activities actually." The Zimbabwean Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri
, said that Operation Murambatsvina was meant to "clean the country of the crawling mass of maggots bent on destroying the economy."
While police have carried out most of the demolitions, they have been supported by the army and the National Youth Service. Many inhabitants have been forced to destroy their own homes, sometimes at gunpoint.
People whose homes have been demolished are being told to return to the rural areas or face further action from the Zimbabwe Republic Police
and the dreaded Central Intelligence Organization
. Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere
claimed that there is "nobody in Zimbabwe who does not have a rural home".
(MDC) has argued that the government's main reason for Murambatsvina is to punish the urban poor for voting for the opposition during the March parliamentary elections. The cities are traditionally MDC strongholds, and, in fact, the Harare Commission that initiated the campaign was set up to override the governing powers of the elected MDC City Council
. However, the retribution
rationale is slightly undermined by the fact that some Zanu-PF supporters have also been caught up in the squatter camp clearances.
campaign conducted against the Matabele civilians in the early 1980s. The Gukurahundi campaign ultimately resulted in the demise of Joshua Nkomo
's Zimbabwe African People's Union
(ZAPU) when it merged with Robert Mugabe's party in 1987. There has been speculation that the government is aiming to create a situation where the MDC has no choice but to merge with the ruling party.
Commentators also argue that by forcing urban voters out into the rural areas the cities will be de-populated of MDC supporters thus enabling the government to re-populate the shanty town
areas with Zanu-PF supporters. Further, MDC supporters will be forced to return to live in areas traditionally viewed as Zanu-PF strongholds.
Science and Technology Deputy Minister Patrick Zhuwawo used state media to say that the government had demarcated nearly 10,000 residential stands at Whitecliff Farm for allocation to what he called "deserving people". The Independent, a Zimbabwe newspaper, has interpreted this to mean "Zanu-PF supporters" and supports the view by identifying the presence of "Zanu-PF sharks" at the centre where people were meant to sign up for new stands. A different source reported that, in Bulawayo
, a Zanu-PF representative was tasked with compiling a list of future stand beneficiaries and that the resulting list was dominated by the names of known Zanu-PF supporters. One opposition supporter, whose name was not on the list, alleges that he was bluntly told that he supported the wrong party.
It has also been speculated that the campaign, under the guise of destroying 'illegal
' structures, is designed to whip up urban supporter anger towards the City Council that they elected. Nearly all the inhabitants of the shanty town claim that they were originally moved there in 1992 after the Government promised them that it was only temporary until new housing was built and temporary housing would be brought in shortly. However, no temporary housing was brought in, and people started developing their own homes. Many demolished structures were built with City Council permission, and some victims claim that they have paid rates
and taxes, meaning that their homes should therefore be legal in the eyes of the council. Commentators have suggested that the injustice of demolishing a structure seen by the owner as legal could be designed to whip up anger against the MDC elected City Council, thus compromising the MDC's support base in the urban areas. In fact, as stated in the previous section, the operation was initiated outside the auspices of the City Council by the Harare Commission.
against the government. In fact, Catholic
Archbishop
Pius Ncube
, a respected human rights
activist and outspoken critic
of the government, publicly called for a peaceful uprising before the elections took place, claiming that the elections had already been fixed.
It has been argued that, by dispersing MDC supporters to remote rural locations, the Zanu-PF government would find it easier to control an angry population in the event of possible riots or mass protests. David Coltart
, the MDC's legal affairs spokesperson, described the operation as a sinister pre-emptive
strike designed to remove the maximum possible number of people from urban areas to rural areas where they are easier to control".
Other sources suggest that Mengistu Haile Mariam
, who fled to Harare in 1991 and now acts as President Robert Mugabe's security adviser, warned the Zimbabwean leader that the swelling slum and backyard population in Zimbabwe was creating a fertile ground for a mass uprising.
has advanced another reason for pre-emptively dispersing citizens living in opposition party strongholds. They point to the fact that the government faces an unprecedented economic crisis characterized by fuel and food shortages, rampant hyperinflation
, and virtually no foreign currency. To resolve the crisis, they argue that the Zanu-PF government will be forced, against its will, to re-engage with the international community:
The suggestion therefore is that if totalitarian controls were relaxed - to satisfy international principles and standards - the government would suddenly be exposed to protest and civic
pressure. In other words, Operation Murambatsvina may be less to do with fear of protests immediately following the elections (which could be controlled using current methods which rely on a politicised police and army), and more to do with controlling the population after heavy-handed measures were dispensed with:
Zimbabwean 2005 election experiences give some credence to this view. Anticipating electoral observers
coming to the country, the government eased up on a few of its repressive tactics in the months immediately preceding the parliamentary elections. The immediate effect was that MDC supporters felt confident and suddenly openly showed their support for their party in a way they hadn't been able to before.
. Sokwanele
, a Zimbabwean civic action support group, describes Gideon Gono as having played a major role in Operation Murambatsvina. In fact, Gideon Gono's appointment to Governor coincided with the beginning of a crackdown on illegal foreign currency dealings prompting one popular source of independent news to report that "one of his key areas of focus is the illegal foreign currency market".
Sokwanele
, in a different article, explains that the foreign currency market in Zimbabwe is broadly characterized by the formal market, the parallel market and the black market. They describe the black market as follows:
Commentators believe the government is specifically targeting the small-scale black market traders through Operation Murambatsvina. The Age, an Australian newspaper, reported on how informal vendors at one market, dubbed 'The World Bank', maintains a façade of trading goods when their real business is dealing in hard cash, albeit very small amounts at a time. (In fact, Bulawayo's 'The World Bank' was one of the markets targeted when Gono first become Governor of the Reserve Bank in [2003].)
Few analysts believe that the small amounts seized from vendors in one operation could begin to meet the country's massive foreign currency shortfall. This has led to some describing the government's action as indicative of their extreme desperation.
But others have further suggested that the government may believe that customers, unable to trade their money on the black market, will be forced to bring it into the formal banking sector. In addition to that, customers who previously accessed products on the black market will be forced to return to buy them from the formal sector, which the government may believe will help to bring about an economic revival.
Analysts also point out that the government publicly holds market traders responsible for runaway inflation
so the action could also partly be about retribution against them.
. The state-controlled newspaper The Herald reported on Robert Mugabe
's support for Operation Murambastvina, and on his view that the economy was beginning to receive serious and significant investments from the Far East
:
This has led some to speculate that the destruction of the shanty towns are partly in support of Chinese
business interests in Zimbabwe. A report co-authored by Catholic
Archbishop
Pius Ncube
stated that:
As well as practical support of Chinese business interests, many have suggested that Operation Murambatsvina also demonstrates an adherence to a 'Look East' ideology
and is evidence that Zanu-PF has embraced an Asia
n model of government where individual rights are often subverted for the good of the masses, or the regime
. Robert Mugabe's approach to governance
has prompted regular comparisons between him and Pol Pot
.
Kate Hoey
MP
called on former British
Prime Minister
Tony Blair
to encourage South Africa
to use its regional influence to put pressure on Zimbabwean authorities to cease the crackdown.
The New Zealand
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Phil Goff
expressed his condemnation of the operation by suggesting in a radio interview a boycott of the planned tour by the Zimbabwean cricket team
of New Zealand in 2005–6.
Condoleezza Rice
, then United States Secretary of State
, called upon Africa
n leaders to speak out against the Operation and to increase pressure on the Zimbabwean authorities to end the evictions. The African Union
has rejected these calls stating it has 'more serious concerns'. For example, then South African President Thabo Mbeki
questioned why Western leaders were so concerned about Zimbabwe while not paying the same amount of attention to far more dire African emergencies, such as civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
, then UN Secretary-General
, dispatched special envoy
Anna Tibaijuka
to Zimbabwe to study the effects of the campaign and report back her findings. The report is highly critical of the government, prompting one news source to say that the report used "language unusually harsh for the United Nations". Excerpts of the report describe the operation as disastrous and inhumane, representing a clear violation of international law
. The executive summary stated:
On May 23, 2007 the Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions and another group, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, sought independent legal opinion. This concluded that the evictions in Zimbabwe were a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population, as part of state policy.
The government said Tibaijuka had used value-laden and judgemental language, which clearly demonstrated in-built bias against it and the operation.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an government campaign to forcibly clear slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
areas across the country. The campaign started in 2005 and according to United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
estimates has affected at least 700,000 people directly through loss of their home or livelihood and thus could have indirectly affected around 2.4 million people. Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
and other government officials characterize the operation as a crackdown against illegal
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
and commercial activities, and as an effort to reduce the risk of the spread of infectious disease in these areas.
However, the campaign has met with harsh condemnation from Zimbabwean opposition parties, church groups, non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s, and the wider international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
. The United Nations has described the campaign as an effort to drive out and make homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
large sections of the urban and rural poor, who comprise much of the internal opposition to the Mugabe administration.
Etymology of the word "Murambatsvina"
The word was initially used to refer to a communal village worker by the Shona who lived in "reserves". These people were employed by the ministry of health to improve levels of sanitation in these areas, to communicate health information, etc. Police Inspector John Tupiri of Operations Manicaland decided on the name "Murambatsvina". The Zimbabwean police were ruthless in executing their duties with the result that they were dreaded by the local populace. The sense behind the word therefore mirrors the alleged purpose of the operation as asserted by the government of Zimbabwe.Overview
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
", in reference to the devastation which followed the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
. The crackdown has affected most of the major cities in the country, and the Zimbabwean government has stated its intention to widen the operation to include rural farming areas. Estimates of the number of people affected vary considerably. The latest United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
figures estimate that it has led to the unemployment of 700,000 people and affected a further 2.4 million people countrywide. Earlier, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum estimated that 64,677 families had been displaced, representing a total of approximately 323,385 people (this estimate was based on figures from 45 locations). However, according to the police only 120,000 people have been affected.
Whichever figures are correct, large numbers of people have been affected, all of whom are in need of emergency relief and resettlement following the loss of their homes and livelihood. The clearances have been condemned both internally and internationally. A report written by Anna Tibaijuka
Anna Tibaijuka
Dr. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka is a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme...
, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya...
, was handed to the Zimbabwean government on July 21, 2005. Excerpts from the report, which calls for all demolitions to be stopped immediately, were made public the following day and describe the operation as a "disastrous venture" which has violated international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
and led to a serious humanitarian crisis
Humanitarian crisis
A humanitarian crisis is an event or series of events which represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area...
. The actions of the government are described as indiscriminate, unjustified and conducted without regard for human suffering. The Washington Post on February 7, 2008, described how some men and women displaced from Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
are now walking 28 km (17.4 mi) - 5 hours round-trip every day to work (furthermore without breakfast), because the individual bus fare for one day now costs nearly a week's wages - ZW
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
$10 million.
Background
Overall responsibility for the clearances rests with the ruling party, ZANU-PF. The previous Chairperson of the Harare Commission, Dr. Jameson Kurasha, initiated Operation Murambatsvina weeks after the disputed electionsZimbabwe parliamentary elections, 2005
A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005 to elect members to the Zimbabwe House of Assembly. All of the 120 elected seats in the 150-seat House of Assembly were up for election. A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005 to elect members to the Zimbabwe...
were held there. The Harare Commission led by Sekesai Makwavarara is currently running the affairs of the City of Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
despite the fact that there is a pending application to the High Court questioning its authority to do so. The Commission itself was appointed by Ignatious Chombo
Ignatious Chombo
Ignatious Morgan Chombo is a Zimbabwean politician, serving as the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development....
, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, leading one Zimbabwean newspaper to comment that "President Mugabe, through the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Ignatious Chombo, is now effectively in control of the City of Harare".
Mugabe said the clearances are needed to carry out "a vigorous clean-up campaign to restore sanity" and he has described the program as an "urban renewal campaign." Chombo has described the operation in terms of 'restoring order': "It is these people who have been making the country ungovernable by their criminal activities actually." The Zimbabwean Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri
Augustine Chihuri
-References:...
, said that Operation Murambatsvina was meant to "clean the country of the crawling mass of maggots bent on destroying the economy."
While police have carried out most of the demolitions, they have been supported by the army and the National Youth Service. Many inhabitants have been forced to destroy their own homes, sometimes at gunpoint.
People whose homes have been demolished are being told to return to the rural areas or face further action from the Zimbabwe Republic Police
Zimbabwe Republic Police
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is the national police force of Zimbabwe, known until July 1980 as the British South Africa Police. -Structure:...
and the dreaded Central Intelligence Organization
Central Intelligence Organization
The Central Intelligence Organisation is the national intelligence agency or "secret police" of Zimbabwe.-History:The CIO was formed in Rhodesia on the instructions of Prime Minister Winston Field in 1963 at the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and took over from the...
. Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere
Aeneas Chigwedere
Aeneas Chigwedere is a Zimbabwean politician, historian, educationist, and traditional leader. He served as the Minister of Education, Sports, & Culture since August 2001, and was appointed as the Resident Minister and Governor of Mashonaland East Province in August 2008...
claimed that there is "nobody in Zimbabwe who does not have a rural home".
Alternative reasons for the clearances
The Zimbabwean government has argued that Operation Murambatsvina is about restoring order (see section above). However, the timing of the clearances, so soon after the disputed parliamentary elections on March 31, 2005, combined with the contradictory nature of the operation, has prompted commentators to state that there are alternative reasons for the demolitions, although most say a combination of many of these.Political retribution
The opposition Movement for Democratic ChangeMovement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
(MDC) has argued that the government's main reason for Murambatsvina is to punish the urban poor for voting for the opposition during the March parliamentary elections. The cities are traditionally MDC strongholds, and, in fact, the Harare Commission that initiated the campaign was set up to override the governing powers of the elected MDC City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. However, the retribution
Retributive justice
Retributive justice is a theory of justice that considers that punishment, if proportionate, is a morally acceptable response to crime, with an eye to the satisfaction and psychological benefits it can bestow to the aggrieved party, its intimates and society....
rationale is slightly undermined by the fact that some Zanu-PF supporters have also been caught up in the squatter camp clearances.
Weaken the political opposition
Some commentators have noted the alarming similarity between the name of this operation and the GukurahundiGukurahundi
The Gukurahundi refers to the suppression by Zimbabwe's 5th Brigade in the predominantly Ndebele regions of Zimbabwe most of whom were supporters of Joshua Nkomo. A few hundred disgruntled former ZIPRA combatants waged armed banditry against the civilians in Matabeleland, and destroyed government...
campaign conducted against the Matabele civilians in the early 1980s. The Gukurahundi campaign ultimately resulted in the demise of Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo was the leader and founder of the Zimbabwe African People's Union and a member of the Kalanga tribe...
's Zimbabwe African People's Union
Zimbabwe African People's Union
The Zimbabwe African People's Union was a militant organization and political party that fought for the national liberation of Zimbabwe from its founding in 1961 until it merged with the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front in December 1987....
(ZAPU) when it merged with Robert Mugabe's party in 1987. There has been speculation that the government is aiming to create a situation where the MDC has no choice but to merge with the ruling party.
Commentators also argue that by forcing urban voters out into the rural areas the cities will be de-populated of MDC supporters thus enabling the government to re-populate the shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
areas with Zanu-PF supporters. Further, MDC supporters will be forced to return to live in areas traditionally viewed as Zanu-PF strongholds.
Science and Technology Deputy Minister Patrick Zhuwawo used state media to say that the government had demarcated nearly 10,000 residential stands at Whitecliff Farm for allocation to what he called "deserving people". The Independent, a Zimbabwe newspaper, has interpreted this to mean "Zanu-PF supporters" and supports the view by identifying the presence of "Zanu-PF sharks" at the centre where people were meant to sign up for new stands. A different source reported that, in Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
, a Zanu-PF representative was tasked with compiling a list of future stand beneficiaries and that the resulting list was dominated by the names of known Zanu-PF supporters. One opposition supporter, whose name was not on the list, alleges that he was bluntly told that he supported the wrong party.
It has also been speculated that the campaign, under the guise of destroying 'illegal
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
' structures, is designed to whip up urban supporter anger towards the City Council that they elected. Nearly all the inhabitants of the shanty town claim that they were originally moved there in 1992 after the Government promised them that it was only temporary until new housing was built and temporary housing would be brought in shortly. However, no temporary housing was brought in, and people started developing their own homes. Many demolished structures were built with City Council permission, and some victims claim that they have paid rates
Rates
Rates is a Portuguese parish and town located in the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim. In the census of 2001, it had a population of 2,539 inhabitants and a total area of 13.88 square kilometres.-History:...
and taxes, meaning that their homes should therefore be legal in the eyes of the council. Commentators have suggested that the injustice of demolishing a structure seen by the owner as legal could be designed to whip up anger against the MDC elected City Council, thus compromising the MDC's support base in the urban areas. In fact, as stated in the previous section, the operation was initiated outside the auspices of the City Council by the Harare Commission.
Controlling political protest
There were many reports in the immediate aftermath of the 2005 parliamentary elections, widely viewed by the west as neither free nor fair, of potential mass uprisingsRebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
against the government. In fact, Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Pius Ncube
Pius Ncube
His Grace the Most Reverend Dr. Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, until he resigned on September 11, 2007...
, a respected human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist and outspoken critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
of the government, publicly called for a peaceful uprising before the elections took place, claiming that the elections had already been fixed.
It has been argued that, by dispersing MDC supporters to remote rural locations, the Zanu-PF government would find it easier to control an angry population in the event of possible riots or mass protests. David Coltart
David Coltart
David Coltart is a Zimbabwean lawyer, Christian leader and politician. He was a founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change when it was established in 1999 and its founding Secretary for Legal Affairs. He was the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South in the House of Assembly from 2000...
, the MDC's legal affairs spokesperson, described the operation as a sinister pre-emptive
Preemptive war
A preemptive war is a war that is commenced in an attempt to repel or defeat a perceived inevitable offensive or invasion, or to gain a strategic advantage in an impending war before that threat materializes. It is a war which preemptively 'breaks the peace'. The term: 'preemptive war' is...
strike designed to remove the maximum possible number of people from urban areas to rural areas where they are easier to control".
Other sources suggest that Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam is a politician who was formerly the most prominent officer of the Derg, the Communist military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991...
, who fled to Harare in 1991 and now acts as President Robert Mugabe's security adviser, warned the Zimbabwean leader that the swelling slum and backyard population in Zimbabwe was creating a fertile ground for a mass uprising.
Risk management as part of future government reform
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO ForumZimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM-Summary:The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum also known as “The Forum” is a Non Governmental Organisation based in Zimbabwe with an International Liaison Office in London, England. It was founded by nine human rights organisations at the time of the 1998 food riots to...
has advanced another reason for pre-emptively dispersing citizens living in opposition party strongholds. They point to the fact that the government faces an unprecedented economic crisis characterized by fuel and food shortages, rampant hyperinflation
Hyperinflation
In economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or out of control. While the real values of the specific economic items generally stay the same in terms of relatively stable foreign currencies, in hyperinflationary conditions the general price level within a specific economy increases...
, and virtually no foreign currency. To resolve the crisis, they argue that the Zanu-PF government will be forced, against its will, to re-engage with the international community:
This means a reversal of its whole style of governing, adherence to the rule of law, an end to political violence and repression, opening of the press and media space, and a cessation of all interference with citizens basic freedoms.
The suggestion therefore is that if totalitarian controls were relaxed - to satisfy international principles and standards - the government would suddenly be exposed to protest and civic
Civic engagement
Civic engagement or civic participation has been defined as "Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern."-Forms:...
pressure. In other words, Operation Murambatsvina may be less to do with fear of protests immediately following the elections (which could be controlled using current methods which rely on a politicised police and army), and more to do with controlling the population after heavy-handed measures were dispensed with:
It is predicated on the observation that the greatest risk to repressive governments comes when they seek to liberalise.
Zimbabwean 2005 election experiences give some credence to this view. Anticipating electoral observers
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
coming to the country, the government eased up on a few of its repressive tactics in the months immediately preceding the parliamentary elections. The immediate effect was that MDC supporters felt confident and suddenly openly showed their support for their party in a way they hadn't been able to before.
Regain control of foreign currency dealings
Zimbabwe has been fighting to keep control of the foreign currency market for the last few years by adopting a range of measures, usually spearheaded by Reserve Bank Governor Gideon GonoGideon Gono
Gideon Gono is the current Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and former CEO of the Jewel Bank, formerly known as the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe...
. Sokwanele
Sokwanele
Sokwanele is a popular protest underground movement based in Zimbabwe. They are pro-democracy, and they embrace supporters of all pro-democratic political parties, civic organizations and institutions. Sokwanele is committed to challenging and confronting - through non-violent activism - the way in...
, a Zimbabwean civic action support group, describes Gideon Gono as having played a major role in Operation Murambatsvina. In fact, Gideon Gono's appointment to Governor coincided with the beginning of a crackdown on illegal foreign currency dealings prompting one popular source of independent news to report that "one of his key areas of focus is the illegal foreign currency market".
Sokwanele
Sokwanele
Sokwanele is a popular protest underground movement based in Zimbabwe. They are pro-democracy, and they embrace supporters of all pro-democratic political parties, civic organizations and institutions. Sokwanele is committed to challenging and confronting - through non-violent activism - the way in...
, in a different article, explains that the foreign currency market in Zimbabwe is broadly characterized by the formal market, the parallel market and the black market. They describe the black market as follows:
Black market transactions happen on the streets, in the flea markets, and in back-rooms; sometimes for small sums of money like 20 US dollars; and the deals often take place between individuals.
Commentators believe the government is specifically targeting the small-scale black market traders through Operation Murambatsvina. The Age, an Australian newspaper, reported on how informal vendors at one market, dubbed 'The World Bank', maintains a façade of trading goods when their real business is dealing in hard cash, albeit very small amounts at a time. (In fact, Bulawayo's 'The World Bank' was one of the markets targeted when Gono first become Governor of the Reserve Bank in [2003].)
Few analysts believe that the small amounts seized from vendors in one operation could begin to meet the country's massive foreign currency shortfall. This has led to some describing the government's action as indicative of their extreme desperation.
But others have further suggested that the government may believe that customers, unable to trade their money on the black market, will be forced to bring it into the formal banking sector. In addition to that, customers who previously accessed products on the black market will be forced to return to buy them from the formal sector, which the government may believe will help to bring about an economic revival.
Analysts also point out that the government publicly holds market traders responsible for runaway inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
so the action could also partly be about retribution against them.
Supporting the 'Look East' Policy
Zanu-PF's drive towards resolving its economic crisis has included strengthening its historical ties with ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The state-controlled newspaper The Herald reported on Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's support for Operation Murambastvina, and on his view that the economy was beginning to receive serious and significant investments from the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
:
We should not look back, for, looking back, means back to our political enemies and detractors. Industry must recognise this new direction (Look East policy).
This has led some to speculate that the destruction of the shanty towns are partly in support of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
business interests in Zimbabwe. A report co-authored by Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Pius Ncube
Pius Ncube
His Grace the Most Reverend Dr. Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, until he resigned on September 11, 2007...
stated that:
Speculation over the motives behind Operation Murambatsvina has pointed to the removal of local competition threatening newly arrived Chinese businessmen whose stores sell cheap and often poor quality goods. It is estimated that, as a result of the government's aggressive 'Look East' policy, up to 10,000 Chinese citizens have moved into the country, and some have moved onto farms taken from highly skilled commercial farmers, notably to grow tobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
for China's 300 million smokers.
As well as practical support of Chinese business interests, many have suggested that Operation Murambatsvina also demonstrates an adherence to a 'Look East' ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
and is evidence that Zanu-PF has embraced an Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n model of government where individual rights are often subverted for the good of the masses, or the regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
. Robert Mugabe's approach to governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
has prompted regular comparisons between him and Pol Pot
Pol Pot
Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....
.
Zimbabwean responses
Operation Murambatsvina has been widely condemned by Zimbabwean non-governmental organisations, churches, legal organizations, and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change as well as many other groups in Zimbabwe.International responses
The international community has also condemned the operation with nations and international organizations strongly attacking the Zimbabwean government's policy.Kate Hoey
Kate Hoey
Catharine Letitia Hoey is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Vauxhall since 1989. She served in the Blair Government as Minister for Sport from 1999 to 2001.-Background:...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
called on former British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
to encourage South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to use its regional influence to put pressure on Zimbabwean authorities to cease the crackdown.
The New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are also Associate Minister roles...
Phil Goff
Phil Goff
Philip Bruce Goff is the current Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. During the Fifth Labour Government, he served in a number of ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Defence of New Zealand, Minister of Corrections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and...
expressed his condemnation of the operation by suggesting in a radio interview a boycott of the planned tour by the Zimbabwean cricket team
Zimbabwean cricket team
The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. It is administrated by Zimbabwe Cricket...
of New Zealand in 2005–6.
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, then United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
, called upon Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n leaders to speak out against the Operation and to increase pressure on the Zimbabwean authorities to end the evictions. The African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
has rejected these calls stating it has 'more serious concerns'. For example, then South African President Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
questioned why Western leaders were so concerned about Zimbabwe while not paying the same amount of attention to far more dire African emergencies, such as civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
United Nations
Kofi AnnanKofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, then UN Secretary-General
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
, dispatched special envoy
Envoy (title)
In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident....
Anna Tibaijuka
Anna Tibaijuka
Dr. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka is a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme...
to Zimbabwe to study the effects of the campaign and report back her findings. The report is highly critical of the government, prompting one news source to say that the report used "language unusually harsh for the United Nations". Excerpts of the report describe the operation as disastrous and inhumane, representing a clear violation of international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
. The executive summary stated:
Operation Restore Order, while purporting to target illegal dwellings and structures and to clamp down on alleged illicit activities, was carried out in an indiscriminate and unjustified manner, with indifference to human suffering, and, in repeated cases, with disregard to several provisions of national and international legal frameworks.
On May 23, 2007 the Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions and another group, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, sought independent legal opinion. This concluded that the evictions in Zimbabwe were a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population, as part of state policy.
Zanu-PF response to UN report
In a 45-page response to the highly critical report by UN envoy Anna Tibaijuka, President Robert Mugabe's government says it acted in the public interest, and denied that it was responsible for the deaths of several people during clean-up operation, and was carried out in compliance with the government's laws, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported on August 17, 2005.The government said Tibaijuka had used value-laden and judgemental language, which clearly demonstrated in-built bias against it and the operation.
External links
- Report of the Fact-Finding Mission to Zimbabwe to Assess the Impact of Operation Murambatswina by the Human Special Envoy on Human Settlements Issues in Zimbabwe, Mrs Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka.
- The Guardian -- "Monster of the moment: Zimbabwe is being hypocritically vilified by the west for forced slum clearances that are routine throughout the developing world"
- BBC News - Mugabe Defends Crackdown
- Children crushed in Zimbabwe raid, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 23 June 2005 - 'Out in the cold' The Economist, June 9 2005 and 'Cleaning up in Zimbabwe', same issue
- Kubatana.net - Countrywide evictions of urban poor - Index of articles
- - The Clearing of Porta Farm Settlement, West of Harare, Zimbabwe
- - Zimbabwe: Housing policy built on foundation of failures and lies