ZCTU+STATEMENT+ON+OPERATION+RESTORE+ORDER



=ZCTU STATEMENT ON OPERATION RESTORE ORDER= The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) is greatly disturbed by the continuing demolition of shelter and destruction of informal businesses which has affected a huge number of innocent Zimbabweans. One month into the operation, the demolition of the so called illegal structures continues unabated and without any slight consideration of the consequences on the affected people, especially women and children. Imagine children, some of them not yet even a year old, in an open space, wallowing with hunger, shacking and freezing in this cold whether with only a plastic shack over their heads. Today 23 June 2005 it has been raining in Harare, with these people in the open. How are they expected to survive? The reports that the homeless people that are being ‘detained’ at Caledonia farm are safe are very misleading and an affront to the rights of these people. Serve for some humanitarian organizations who are trying to help with food and tents, these people are now refuges in their own country. The Government has deprived these people of a basic human right: The right to shelter. The setting up of a nine member ministerial committee by the cabinet, which was supposed to have been done before this operation was started, exposes the cabinet’s ineptitude over proper decision making or the handling of such self created catastrophes.

This is only a way of finding some work for their fellow comrades and homeboys who find themselves in the cabinet with nothing to do. If the government, especially the Presidium had the conscience and the time to do some soul searching at this moment, they would realize that they have really let down the people. This operation, in fact, shows that our leaders are heartless self serving hypocrites who will stop at nothing to fulfill their sadistic appetite for the total control of peace loving Zimbabweans. If they are man enough they should just resign. It seems our government derives too much pleasure from seeing a lot of Zimbabweans suffering and at this moment nothing can stop them from disenfranchising more people to the point of powerlessness so that they entrench their ungracious stranglehold on power. Once again the ZCTU reiterates that government has dismally failed and urges them to resign.

Wellington Chibebe SECRETARY GENERAL
 * 23/06/05