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Africa: Subsaharan |
Millions of Zimbabwe's Poor Face Eviction |
2005-05-25 |
The government threatened Tuesday to demolish squatter shacks in what it called an urban beautification campaign after the arrests of about 10,000 street traders in the capital, a stronghold of the opposition. The opposition accused the ruling ZANU-PF party of trying to provoke confrontations so it can declare a state of emergency before the tattered state of the economy leads to riots. "They are now going for broke," said Paul Themba-Nyathi, spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. "It is obvious these are all punitive measures aimed at urban people who voted against ZANU-PF." A five-day blitz against street vendors and flea markets already has sparked clashes between the traders and police, and unrest has been reported elsewhere. Police Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka said Monday that 9,653 people have been arrested. On Tuesday, the government set a June 20 deadline for demolishing unauthorized buildings in Harare unless the residents appeal and receive a grace period. The demolitions could evict more than a million urban poor in the middle of the Zimbabwe winter. |
Posted by:Fred |
#8 Mbeki needs to be confronted with his own enabling of this catastrophe...oh, wait, sorry...that would be racist |
Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-25 19:04 |
#7 Its clear things are about to get a lot worse in Zimbabwe and I can't see an end, short of South Africa invading and removing Mugabe. |
Posted by: phil_b 2005-05-25 17:34 |
#6 "Police Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka said Monday that 9,653 people have been arrested". Off to the rural entertainment camps for our Youth Militia with them, then. And you got to hand it to their CIO Psy-Ops team when they name their "Ops". Operation "Clear Out Rubbish" says it all. Just not "when"! They also had Ghukurahundi, early 1980's, "The Wind that Cleans", when Korean trained 5th Brigade (Shona), slaughtered many Matabeles, and reduced the survivors to eating leaves from the trees and grass. And now the tourism industry collapses as they shoot all the game for food, whilst the dams silt up and the Kalahari encroaches, but, never mind, we'll buy some old Chinese aeroplanes in exchange for crops we don't have. Is there a plan? |
Posted by: rhodesiafever 2005-05-25 17:31 |
#5 tu...no it doesn't, because all you can feel is sympathy. Sympathy for the frustration and root causes that caused the black one to kick you. It doesn't hurt at all. |
Posted by: 2b 2005-05-25 10:14 |
#4 I wonder if it hurts as much when the boot kicking you in the head is on a black foot instead of a white one... |
Posted by: tu3031 2005-05-25 10:11 |
#3 Yeah. It's easier when it's evil, black, homeboys. |
Posted by: Fred 2005-05-25 10:09 |
#2 Ok, so the whole country has gone to hell since ZimBob took over. Look on the bright side. At least the people are no longer being oppressed and brutalized by their evil, white colonial masters. |
Posted by: SteveS 2005-05-25 09:57 |
#1 And from the world left comes...? *chirp* |
Posted by: Spot 2005-05-25 08:45 |