Once again, in our complacency, the United States is surpassed by a vigorous, forward-looking society. While the Supreme Court hides behind arcane legalisms in order to soil a Noble Document, a dynamic young Nation eschews such delicacy in "Moving On" to the ultimate goal of its fearless leader.
Operation Murambatsvina (Shona for Operation Drive Out The Trash), also referred to as Operation Restore Order, is a crackdown against illegal trading and illegal housing in Harare, Bulawayo and other urban areas, conducted by the government of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Opposition political parties claim that it is an attack against the urban-based opposition. Estimates so far suggest that as many as 200,000 Zimbabweans may have been left homeless by the crackdown.The clearances were initiated by Robert Mugabe and the ruling ZANU-PF weeks after the disputed elections held there. Mugabe claims that the clearances are needed in order to carry out "a vigorous clean-up campaign to restore sanity". While police have carried out most of the demolition, some inhabitants were forced to destroy their own homes.
In addition to the political implications behind the clearances, as most of the urban populations consistently vote for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change , "The Zimbabwean", a London and Johannesburg based Zimbabwean advocacy newspaper has reported allegations that the destruction of the shanty towns are also to drive out the black market to destroy any local competition with the new Chinese merchants in Harare and Bulwayo as part of Mugabe's "Look East" policy. It has also been opined — by The Economist and other sources — that a motive for the clearances may be to acquire a low-tech agricultural workforce, given Mugabe's farm confiscation policies and their resulting collapse of Zimbabwean stocks of food staples.
People whose homes are being demolished are being told to return to previous homes in the countryside or face further action from the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the dreaded Central Intelligence Organization. While some have been able to do this, many others have been forced to stay on the streets during some of the coldest nights of the Zimbabwean year. Others have moved in with relatives in other, so far unaffected areas.
As well as homes, demolished buildings include a Roman Catholic orphanage which had been run by a group of nuns . Children, some of whom are infected with HIV and have lost parents to the AIDS virus, were given 12 to 24 hours to leave. Outside of the urban areas of Harare and Bulawayo, most of the destruction has been limited to illegal market stalls rather than homes.
Shame. Shame, I say. How can we hold up our heads in this progressive age if we allow a
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
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