Monthly Monitoring Report
February 2024
Major Highlights
Forced, Unjust and Illegal Evictions
During the reporting period, ZPP recorded
7
cases
of
government-sanctioned
evictions of people from their land from
Masvingo, Manicaland and Matabeleland
among other provinces. The evictions were
carried out under the pretext of dealing with
land barons (3700 of whom were arrested
according to the government) and illegal
settlements. However, the operation had a
disproportionate impact on the rights of the
evicted citizens. Thousands of citizens had
their rights to occupy and use land, shelter,
food, water, health and education flagrantly
violated during the operation. In some
instances, the evictions targeted opposition
strongholds,
such
as
in
the
case
of
evictions from Village 15B of Mushandike,
Masvingo
Province
where
300
families
550-14 ruled that “The land in question is an informal settlement
were evicted from their land. The heavy-
at which desperate home seekers have helped themselves to land
handedness of the state in dealing with the
and
so-called illegal settlers is unjustified in
sprouting all over the place with indecent abandon under the
light of the fact that all the settlements that
watch of local authorities charged with the responsibility of
were affected had been condoned by the
superintending urban settlements, who have been generally
government itself in one way or the other.
complicit in the whole issue. Having allowed these illegal
Some of the “illegal settlers” were allocated
settlements to take root, at the expense not only of the settlers but
land by members of the political party that
also of organized urban planning and public health, local
is in government as a way of soliciting for
authorities are now waking up and, by force and power,
their support during elections. Even if a
demolishing the structures without regard to the law and human
settlement is illegal, the government is still
dignity” In Dusabe v Harare City 2016 ZWHHC, the High Court
obliged to follow due process. It is grossly
ruled that informal settlers do not need to be evicted. They need
unfair for the government to evict people
to be relocated. Before any decision to relocate them is made,
when it is complicit in allowing the same
authorities must pay due regard to “the historical and policy
people to settle on the same land.
context relevant to the occupation; the period and circumstances
erected
unapproved
houses….
Illegal
settlements
are
under which the land was occupied; the response of the City and
On the 13th of March 2024, the Minister of
other government respondents to the occupation; the hardship to
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs,
be suffered as a consequence of the eviction order; the alternative
Ziyambi Ziyambi said about the evictions:
of an upgrade of the informal settlement without evicting its
“If anybody has been occupying land for
residents;
over 20 years, technically we cannot go
accommodation”
there
particular
The statement by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary
we
are
Affairs, read in conjunction with the two High Court rulings cited
demolishing. The law does not allow us to
above makes it unequivocally clear that the evictions witnessed
do that.” The High Court of Zimbabwe in
during the reporting period were not only unjust and illegal, but
Peter Makani v Epworth Local Board HH
violated government policy as well.
without
individual’s
violating
rights
and
that
say
and
lastly,
the
availability
of
alternative
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