MURAMBATSVINA,S VICTIMS TO BE DISPLACED AGAIN?

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001688

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR B. NEULING
SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: MURAMBATSVINA,S VICTIMS TO BE DISPLACED AGAIN?

Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d


1. (SBU) International Organization for Migration (IOM)
officer Justin MacDermott told poloff on December 15 that the
GOZ-appointed Harare City Council is preparing to resettle
approximately 350 families from Hopely Farm to the rural
areas. These families had earlier been evicted from Mbare
under Operation Murambatsvina. Although a final decision had
yet to be reached, the City Council was contemplating the
move because the families were unable to pay monthly fees of
more than a million Zimbabwean dollars, or nearly US$14 at
the official rate, for a housing stand in Hopely Farm.
MacDermott commented that only better-off families would be
able to afford the stands, leaving the poorest even more
vulnerable to further displacement.


2. (C) COMMENT: This displacement, should it take place,
would further underscore the GOZ,s callous approach to
humanitarian issues: resources are being channeled to its
supporters (predominant beneficiaries of stand allocations)
rather than to Murambatsvina,s victims. Resettling
victimized families in rural areas would make it difficult,
if not impossible, for them to access donor-provided shelter.
If this resettlement actually occurs (coming just days after
the Egeland visit) it would be a major setback to the UN and
donors' engagement with the GOZ on shelter issues.
DELL