News / National
ZimRights call for end of demolitions
07 Oct 2015 at 06:42hrs | Views
As the world marks the United Nations Habitat Day,the ZimRights has called for an end to Demolitions, Evictions of people in various parts of the country.
ZimRights said it commemorates the United Nations (UN) Habitat Day, which falls on every first Monday of October, by calling for the end to demolitions of shelter and evictions of families from their homes. "In recent years, there has been an untoward peak in the demolition of homes in urban areas and eviction of families from farms in a direct violation of the right to shelter," said the ZimRights Director Okey Machisa in a statement.
"Only last week, the Harare City Council demolished homes of 13 families in Budiriro suburb in Harare and Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister, Shuvai Mahofa, announced the eviction of 22 families from Chomfuli Farm in Gutu in Masvingo.
These blatant acts of the denial of the right to shelter to vulnerable citizens by the government have been occurring in disregard of the Section 74 of the Zimbabwe Constitution, which outlaws arbitrary evictions not sanctioned by valid court orders."
He said sadly the government, which has the responsibility to protect citizens from such inhuman treatment and unlawful actions, has been the chief perpetrator of the violations.
"What is even more worrying is that, besides happening without the approval of the courts after considering of the relevant circumstances as required by Section 74 of the Constitution, the evictions have been happening in disregard of court orders in favour of the victims," he said.
"Government has been carrying out evictions despite the fact that a similar exercise called Operation Murambatsvina of June 2005 was condemned as a gross violation of human rights by the UN after it tasked then Special Rapporteur for Human Settlements, Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, to assess the impact on human lives."
Machisa said ZimRights also seizes the UN Habitat Day to call upon the government to address the growing housing backlog in the country.
"In its blueprint Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socioeconomic Transformation (ZimAsset), government admits that the housing backlog is over 1.2 million units.
While the government in ZimAsset proposes to build 125 000 units in four years by 2018, that if achieved will fall short by over 1 million units," he said.
"It is this dire situation, which has led to the desperate citizens being duped by phony housing schemes and corruption in the urban housing provision sector, which the government must urgently address. ZimRights will continue to seek the realisation, promotion and observance of the fundamental right to shelter with regards to the attainment of which the UN Habitat Day allows stakeholders to reflect."
ZimRights said it commemorates the United Nations (UN) Habitat Day, which falls on every first Monday of October, by calling for the end to demolitions of shelter and evictions of families from their homes. "In recent years, there has been an untoward peak in the demolition of homes in urban areas and eviction of families from farms in a direct violation of the right to shelter," said the ZimRights Director Okey Machisa in a statement.
"Only last week, the Harare City Council demolished homes of 13 families in Budiriro suburb in Harare and Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister, Shuvai Mahofa, announced the eviction of 22 families from Chomfuli Farm in Gutu in Masvingo.
These blatant acts of the denial of the right to shelter to vulnerable citizens by the government have been occurring in disregard of the Section 74 of the Zimbabwe Constitution, which outlaws arbitrary evictions not sanctioned by valid court orders."
He said sadly the government, which has the responsibility to protect citizens from such inhuman treatment and unlawful actions, has been the chief perpetrator of the violations.
"What is even more worrying is that, besides happening without the approval of the courts after considering of the relevant circumstances as required by Section 74 of the Constitution, the evictions have been happening in disregard of court orders in favour of the victims," he said.
"Government has been carrying out evictions despite the fact that a similar exercise called Operation Murambatsvina of June 2005 was condemned as a gross violation of human rights by the UN after it tasked then Special Rapporteur for Human Settlements, Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, to assess the impact on human lives."
Machisa said ZimRights also seizes the UN Habitat Day to call upon the government to address the growing housing backlog in the country.
"In its blueprint Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socioeconomic Transformation (ZimAsset), government admits that the housing backlog is over 1.2 million units.
While the government in ZimAsset proposes to build 125 000 units in four years by 2018, that if achieved will fall short by over 1 million units," he said.
"It is this dire situation, which has led to the desperate citizens being duped by phony housing schemes and corruption in the urban housing provision sector, which the government must urgently address. ZimRights will continue to seek the realisation, promotion and observance of the fundamental right to shelter with regards to the attainment of which the UN Habitat Day allows stakeholders to reflect."
Source - Byo24News
