African Union sidesteps Zimbabwe situation

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - The African Union on Friday sidestepped international demands to act against a so-called urban renewal campaign in Zimbabwe that has left as many as 1.5 million people homeless, while President Robert Mugabe defiantly congratulated police on the operation.

Police have torched and bulldozed tens of thousands of homes in the monthlong drive to destroy shantytowns, street markets and even vegetable gardens planted by impoverished city dwellers at a time of acute food shortages.

Addressing a police graduation ceremony Thursday, Mugabe said the campaign known as Operation Murambatsvina, or "Drive Out Trash," was wiping out havens for criminals and black-market profiteers. State radio quoted him Friday as saying he was "happy that a new breed of organized entrepreneurs will emerge."

Mugabe's political opposition, whose base is among the urban poor, says the operation is aimed at punishing supporters for voting against the ruling party in recent parliamentary elections.

More than 200 international human rights and civic groups demanded Thursday that Zimbabwe stop the campaign. They also urged Zimbabwe's neighbors to take action against the country at an upcoming AU meeting in Libya.

That plea was echoed Friday by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who said Mugabe remained in power because of the support of some of the countries around him.

Top diplomats from the world's leading industrialized nations - including British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - also urged African leaders in the region to act against the campaign they described as an outrage.

The rights groups released a smuggled video Thursday showing bewildered families sleeping in the open in the winter cold after police torched and bulldozed their shantytown homes. Street markets also were targeted, their stalls left in smoldering ruins.

Police prevent journalists from filming the demolitions, so the footage was collected clandestinely by the church-based Solidarity Peace Trust.

The Zimbabwean government pledged to build new houses for those it has made homeless.

Zimbabwe's neighbors - including regional powerhouse South Africa - have resisted taking a strong public stand against abuses there, preferring a policy of quiet negotiations.

AU spokesman Desmond Orjiako said Friday it was "not proper" for the 53-member body to interfere in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe - especially if it is trying to prevent crime or "ensure Harare does not turn into a slum."

"The government is fully behind the cleanup and applauded the police for ensuring the success of the operation," Mugabe told about 300 recruits in remarks relayed by radio Friday.

Police commissioner Augustine Chihuri was quoted in the same broadcast as reporting a 20 percent drop in crimes such as housebreaking and car theft since the campaign started May 19. Some 46,000 people have been arrested, he said, most of them informal traders the government accuses of sabotaging the failing economy.

Human rights groups, however, say the drive has caused unprecedented suffering among those most in need of government protection: the poor, the elderly and the sick.

Opposition lawmakers forced an emergency debate on the operation in Zimbabwe's Parliament late Thursday.

Edwin Mushoriwa, who represents one of the capital's worst affected townships, said the rights of the poor were being trampled by arbitrary arrests of licensed vendors, the seizure of their produce and destruction of homes.

He said more than 80 percent of the urban poor rely on informal trading and repair work to survive, and now there is "nothing left to speak of" for them.

Walter Mzembe, a lawmaker for the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, said such hardships were a necessary price for a promised economic turnaround.

"These are just temporary things and they are necessary for a long-term turnaround," he said.

Sorry for the long post, but so much of it is quoteable outrage!

"Mugabe said the campaign known as Operation Murambatsvina, or "Drive Out Trash," was wiping out havens for criminals and black-market profiteers."

Barterers and licensed street vendors are "criminals and black market profiteers?" What are land thieves and murderers called in Zimbabwe?

Does this mean the Movement for democratic change can bulldoze Mugabe's home to eliminate the haven this trash lives in?

"State radio quoted him Friday as saying he was "happy that a new breed of organized entrepreneurs will emerge."

The people who are stealing land from political opponents are now "organized entrepeneurs?" Why, we should call the folks who will be using eniment domain for private business purposes "organized entrepeneurs."

"Top diplomats from the world's leading industrialized nations - including British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - also urged African leaders in the region to act against the campaign they described as an outrage."

It's a white capitalist conspiracy to keep the black man down. Only white people can oppress black people.

"The rights groups released a smuggled video Thursday showing bewildered families sleeping in the open in the winter cold after police torched and bulldozed their shantytown homes. Street markets also were targeted, their stalls left in smoldering ruins."

Urban renewal, Mugabe style. Here's a dictator that needs to be ousted. Why hasn't he been dealt with?

"The Zimbabwean government pledged to build new houses for those it has made homeless."

Why not build the houses first or at least give them tents?

"Zimbabwe's neighbors - including regional powerhouse South Africa - have resisted taking a strong public stand against abuses there, preferring a policy of quiet negotiations."

Cover it up so Africa doesn't look bad. Or use the policy as a regional model better yet! shhh!! There's no slavery here either.

"AU spokesman Desmond Orjiako said Friday it was "not proper" for the 53-member body to interfere in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe - especially if it is trying to prevent crime or "ensure Harare does not turn into a slum."

Harare is already a slum.
I look forweard to the day these homeless people trek into their nations, demanding housing.

"The government is fully behind the cleanup and applauded the police for ensuring the success of the operation," Mugabe told about 300 recruits in remarks relayed by radio Friday."

I guess "cleanup" would describe "operation drive out the trash."

"Police commissioner Augustine Chihuri was quoted in the same broadcast as reporting a 20 percent drop in crimes such as housebreaking and car theft since the campaign started May 19. Some 46,000 people have been arrested, he said, most of them informal traders the government accuses of sabotaging the failing economy."

We just have to bulldoze poor people's homes and prevent them from earning a living to reduce the crime rate? Get those barterers,They sabotage the economy. It's their fault, not Mugabe's, for turning productive farms into squatter's camps for Mugabes thugs. Don't we all know his economic reforms would be successful if it weren't for those self employed people living in shanties?

"He said more than 80 percent of the urban poor rely on informal trading and repair work to survive, and now there is "nothing left to speak of" for them."

No government likes barterers.

"Walter Mzembe, a lawmaker for the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, said such hardships were a necessary price for a promised economic turnaround."

Giving productive agricultural land back to those it was stolen from will revive the economy so they can EXPORT food instead of begging for maize.

"These are just temporary things and they are necessary for a long-term turnaround," he said."

Yeah, kill off the sick, elderly and the poor. Won't take very long until only the young and fit live in Zimbabwe.

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