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28 July 2005: Programme Number 58

ZIMBABWE'S FORCED DEMOLITIONS AND EVICTIONS

Controversy still surrounds the Zimbabwean government's forced demolition of many homes and other buildings plus the forced evictions that have badly affected more than 700,000 people. UN Special Envoy Anna Tibaijuka says the operation has not taken into into account the enormous human suffering it has caused: "People have to follow bye-laws, but the methodology…that is the whole problem. You cannot assume that the poor are criminals. For example, if you are looking for foreign exchange smuggling, how much money, how many dollars will the poor have? You know, high-time crooks are not necessarily staying in the slums."

But Zimbabwe's envoy to the UN, Boniface Chidyausiku, says there is an international campaign against his government, "We as Zimbabweans, over the years, since we embarked on the land reform programme, we have been haunted in various forums, and we feel it is the same countries that have been pursuing us because of our various differences on the land reform programme."

Plus, the views and comments of the envoys of United Kingdom and the United States of America at the UN.

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