KEY VIOLATIONS
October MMR
BRUTAL ARBITRARY HOUSE DEMOLITIONS SPARK HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS
The recent demolition of 30 houses in Ridgeview Belverde ward 5, Harare, has
raised serious human rights concerns, particularly regarding the right to
adequate housing and protection from arbitrary eviction. The victims,
comprising 30 households, were left homeless and exposed to the elements,
sparking outrage over the City of Harare's actions. Claiming the houses were
“
No person may be evicted
from their home, or have
their home demolished,
without an order of court
built using unverified offer letters, the city authorities, accompanied by anti-riot
made after considering all
police, vandalised the structures, citing previous demolitions and defiance by
the relevant
land barons. However, Minister of Justice Ziyambi Ziyambi revealed that no
circumstances.
court order was obtained for the demolitions, violating Section 74 of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe which states that no person may ‘have their home
Section 74:
Freedom from Arbitrary Eviction
”
demolished without an order of court…’
The Constitution of Zimbabwe 2013 enshrines the rule of law and fundamental
human rights and freedoms as founding values and principles. Specifically,
Section 68 of the constitution guarantees the right to administrative justice,
requiring that decisions be made in a procedurally fair, impartial and
reasonable manner, while, section 28 protects the right to shelter. These
provisions were blatantly disregarded in the Ridgeview Belverde demolitions
highlighting the need for accountability and adherence to proper channels.
ZPP is therefore concerned about the disregard for the human rights of the
victims and the conduct of public officials in the demolitions and recommend
that in the pursuance of ‘efficient administration’ all losses incurred by the
victims, including emotional and material, be addressed urgently.
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