UPDATE FROM ZIMBABWE DIALOGUE ON SHELTER

Dear All

Thank you for all your support, prayers and hard work. Every bit helps.
Just a short update on whats been happening.

Two informal settlement communities in Bulawayo were evicted from their homes on the 12th of June. The affected communities are Killarney and Ngozi Mine. We estimate that at least 2000 families were affected. Most of the affected are being sheltered clandestinely by churches in Bulawayo. In Harare the evictions are continuing in the Low income townships and continue to target backyard shack dwellers. Suburbs affected in Harare in the past week are Mufakose, Kuwandzana, Dzivarasekwa and in Harare's dormitory town of Chitungwiza. It is not easy to estimate the numbers involved but given that an average of four families were sharing a 'formal' house I would put the effect of the fresh evictions at over 100000 people.

In Hatcliffe Extension where the evictions started in May the police wentback last week rounding up people who had refused to move and forcibly moving them to Caledonia Farm on the outskirts of Harare. A news item yesterday put the numbers at Caledonia at 1900 families. Some NGO's such as Christian Care have started to assist the community at Caledonia with water, sanitation and food. Communities are fragmented but some people have managed to stay within their neighborhoods as neighbors have taken them in. However intimidation and police brutality as well as victimization of those providing support continues.

The retail section at Mbare Market is still not functional. Former traders who were paying licenses to the City of Harare are being asked to reapply for a market stall. The application procedure involves a rigorous excise when one has to get police clearance. There are also rumors that one has to be approved by their local branch of ZANU PF before one is allocated a stall.

In Victoria Falls where I was over the weekend a man was beaten up for working in his small vegetable patch 'instead of building his house' by the police. The community we work with in Victoria Falls reports that they have been getting a lot of conflicting messages from the patrolling police. Most of them were living on legally allocated plots but only a few had built 'formal' houses. Their shacks were burnt and they were told that they could not erect any form of shelter. They are being told they can continue to build their homes but they have to do it from elsewhere.
Those that can afford to have left for their rural homes but a majority is still in the settlement.

Despite all of this the federation continues and in some respects is stronger for it. The Crowborough community continues with its building process and in Mutare up to a 100 people are showing up for work at the site where they are installing infrastructure despite having slept in the open. We have had meetings with the Minister of Local Government and Urban Development, the Metropolitan Governor for Harare and the Secretary of Local Government as well as the Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Kariba and Victoria Falls Municipalities. All we can say with certainty is there is a lot of confusion. The only thing that is clear is the evictions will go on. Land application procedures have been changed for political expedience and there are no official plans to deal with the emergency the evictions have created. We have joined with other NGO's and are trying all options and seeing anyone who will see us to try and see if we can get pressure to stops the evictions. We are hopeful that continued pressure as well as the reality of what a mammoth task the evictions have created will force the government to accept our approach to find lasting solutions.

Regards

Beth