In Mbare |
Zimbabwe appears headed for another social crisis as
authorities have embarked on a widespread operation to destroy illegal
structures in urban areas, reminiscent of the 2005 disastrous Operation
Murambatsvina which left over 700 000 people homeless.
The operation began in Chitungwiza on Friday afternoon
where armed soldiers stormed the busy C Junction in Chitungwiza Unit C ordering
owners of tuckshops and other small business premises to remove their wares and
pull down their structures within 30 minutes failure which they would be beaten
up.
With memories of the blood that soldiers spilt in the communities
still fresh in their minds gloom immediately descended on the usually bustling
centre of business as people began pulling down their shops and carting their
wares home, marking an end of sources of livelihood for many.
The Standard witnessed the operation in action at C
Junction on Friday before it spread to other parts of Chitungwiza, a dormitory
town of Harare and home to over three million people. Yesterday the destruction
had become commonplace in the town with major action being reported at Makoni
Shopping Centre, one of Chitungwiza’s biggest and busiest business hubs.
It appeared the police and the city municipality were all
behind the operation as their officers stood by as people pulled down their
tuckshops and stalls.
The Standard also visited Harare’s oldest and most populous
suburb of Mbare where the operation began to unfold yesterday morning. Illegal
shop owners in the sprawling suburb were busy pulling down their structures
under the watchful eye of soldiers, police and Harare municipal police. There
was no resistance seen except downcast and visibly angry faces of affected
people.
Residents were pulling down the structures on their own
after being given a 24-hour notice to demolish the structures on Friday by
soldiers who reportedly warned unspecified action if the order was not heeded.
Almost all morning, armed municipal police and soldiers
were milling around the suburb, observing the demolitions. The Standard
witnessed a group of the council police officers moving in clusters around
Mbare.
“Yesterday (Friday) municipal police came here and ordered
us to remove the structures within 24 hours or face unspecified consequences.
Soldiers then came today (yesterday). They are armed and watching from their
trucks, not saying anything,” one resident said.
“We don’t have room to disobey — you know what the soldiers
have been doing these days. We, however, feel they should have given us
adequate notice and alternative places to sell out wares. We are here not
because we want to, but because we don’t have jobs.”
But other residents said the decision was a welcome move
because the tuckshops were mushrooming everywhere and not paying council
levies, but paying to Zanu PF youths.
“And they are now a menace, obstructing traffic. These
tuckshops also fuel the black market. They were selling cooking oil at as high
as $17 when OK Zimbabwe is selling it at $4. They should go,” another resident
said.
But although municipal police were seen apparently backing
the operation, it appears there could be discord and controversy in the
launching of the operation. Harare mayor Herbert Gomba, the policy head of the
city told The Standard yesterday that he was not aware of any such operation
and that council had definitely not sanctioned the demolitions or enlisted the
services of the military.
“We have not made a resolution to that effect,” Gomba said.
“My council’s policy is that of engagement and we have always advocated for
that. I am not sure if that was followed, but we will investigate further and
give details later.” Standard
0 comments:
Post a Comment