KEY VIOLATIONS
ARBITRARY EVICTIONS
In Ruwa, Mashonaland East Province, a grave human rights crisis has unfolded following the forced eviction
of approximately 4,000 individuals from Cloverdale Farm, land owned by former Cabinet Minister and ZANU
PF political figure, Petronella Kagonye. The evictions were arbitrary and unlawful, lacking due legal process
and essential safeguards. Victims, many of whom had lived on the land for years and built permanent
structures, were rendered homeless without adequate notice, relocation assistance, or compensation,
thereby violating their constitutional rights to shelter, dignity, and protection from inhuman and degrading
treatment. The stands had originally been allocated by suspected ZANU PF-linked land barons, raising serious
concerns about the role of political actors in land misappropriation and the systemic failure of the state to
regulate and protect citizens from such abuses. During the demolitions, members of the Zimbabwe Republic
Police reportedly used excessive force, leading to multiple injuries, destruction of property, and a further
erosion of trust between the community and law enforcement. Families, including children, have been left
sleeping by the roadside, exposed to extreme weather conditions, hunger, and health risks, in a situation that
clearly amounts to a gross violation of their economic and social rights.
The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) strongly condemns this forced eviction and urges the government to
uphold its obligations under the Constitution of Zimbabwe, including Sections 74 and 81, which guarantee
protection from arbitrary eviction and the rights of children, respectively. ZPP further suggests that the
government must uphold consistency in land governance by ensuring that it does not tacitly permit or ignore
illegal settlements, only to later condemn and forcibly remove occupants. It is important to acknowledge that
while the affected individuals may have occupied privately owned land unlawfully, the state bears
responsibility for preventing such settlements from taking root in the first place. Responsible governance
requires proactive enforcement of land policies and the protection of citizens from displacement that results
from state inaction or complicity.
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