“Crime of poverty”: Murambatsvina Part II
Report Cover Photo: Informal mining settlement in Matabeleland
The July UN report on the demolitions in Zimbabwe has become the definitive report on events between May and the end of June 2005. Other reports have covered in detail urban and peri-urban aspects of OM. Political analysis, assessment of the judiciary, and quantification of those affected are variously covered by other human rights reports released since July.
The current report is the first to systematically follow more than one hundred of the displaced into the rural contexts in which they now find themselves. This report focuses on events since the end of July in Matabeleland, notably Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
Two issues of humanitarian relevance are explored in the report:
- whether “Operation Garikai /Hlalane Kuhle” will really offer relief to those displaced
- will humanitarian aid from other sources, including government, arrive any time soon
- We provide information on current whereabouts of 1,400 IDPs.
- We summarise a number of cases from the 150 plus interviews conducted by the authors since July, to give a cross section of current situations of IDPs.
- We present findings from structured interviews with 100 IDPs.
Zimbabwe remains a nation on the move. Families interviewed have moved as many as seven times in the last few months and are still unsettled. Socio-economic conditions continue to deteriorate and people are still sliding from one situation to another – socially, economically, geographically and in terms of access to basic resources – they slide ever downwards.
its very hard if nt impossible for a government to please every one.. it is unfortunate tht some souls hv to appear as being distressed but ultimately this movement ws for the good of the country though.