Makumbe arrested, church leaders interrogated as government blocks Murambatsvina commemorations

By Violet Gonda and Tererai Karimakwenda
17 May 2006

On Thursday 18th May, Zimbabwe’s social movements which include civic society, student groups and churches will embark on a two month campaign to commemorate the first anniversary of Operation Murambatsvina (drive out the filth), the brutal and illegal demolition exercise that was initiated by the ZANU PF regime on 18th May 2005.

But despite widespread international and domestic condemnation of the clean up exercise that was described as ‘disastrous’ by the United Nations, the government is continuing with the illegal evictions and harassing civic leaders. It’s reported that at least 10 000 more homeless people were evicted from Harare in the past few weeks and dumped at a deserted farm with no food and shelter.

Outspoken political commentator and University of Zimbabwe lecturer Dr John Makumbe was arrested in Harare on Wednesday morning in connection with the commemorations. Dr Makumbe was arrested at his UZ offices and detained for 3 hours at Harare Central Police Station. He told us that he was interrogated over the preparations and accused of being one of the organisers. The main organisers of the events are said to be the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.

Makumbe said even though he told the police’s Law and Order Section that he was not one of the organisers they kept asking petty questions; “I kept telling them I don’t know. And they said ‘why are people at Crisis wanting to commemorate Murambatsvina?’ And I said because it’s an event that happened in this country …and then they asked me why it should be commemorated, and are you commemorating the bad or the good about it? And I said I don’t know that there are any good things about it but that the ‘bad’ is being commemorated! And they didn’t like it”

The political commentator told us that police have banned the activities saying, “This clearly shows that the regime is scared about the commemorations and afraid that some people may cause chaos. He said they know that people are hungry and very unhappy.”

Meanwhile in Bulawayo, we have reports that church leaders were interrogated by intelligence agents, police and army officials who wanted to know what activities had been planned to commemorate the victims of Operation Murambatsvina. Useni Sibanda, a coordinator with the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance told us that the police on Tuesday ordered the Bulawayo churches to cancel their planned procession because there was not enough police manpower to control the estimated 15,000 who would be participating. But Sibanda said a group of 50 church leaders met Wednesday morning and resolved to go ahead with the peaceful procession.

Sibanda said churches are not included in the legislation used by police to ban demonstrations and this would be an infringement of their God-given and constitutional right to prayer. The prayer procession is scheduled for 10:00 A.M. Saturday morning from St Patrick’s Church in Makokoba, to Brethren in Christ Church outside the city centre. Makokoba was one of areas hardest hit by the demolition of houses, and Bulawayo churches shelter many victims and provide food and school fees for displaced families.

One of the organisers of the commemorations, an activist who prefers to be called Farai said, “There is obviously fear amongst the powers that something can come out of many different social movements and forces and NGOs coming together. There is definitely a fear of that. They are scared to give clearance to a church march. They are scared to give clearance to public meetings by social movements.”

Despite the hurdles organisers say they are going ahead with the tributes and will expose the callous, barbaric and cowardly acts the Mugabe regime continues to visit upon poor Zimbabweans in the name of retaining political power.

Farai said, “For the next 8 weeks Zimbabwe’s own ‘Tsunami Commemorations’ will be an explosion of resistance, radical arts performances in communities, testimonies from victims, social justice teach-ins and REAL clean up campaigns.” Social movements in South Africa are expected to follow in solidarity.