Zim blitz targets wealthy areas

2005-06-20 13:15

Harare - Police in Zimbabwe say they are taking their controversial clean-up campaign to prosperous suburbs of the capital, where they will target "illegal property developments" and houses that have been turned into offices, the state-run Herald newspaper said on Monday.

Police spokesperson Whisper Bondayi said: "We can not stand aside while people run out of accommodation when houses are being turned into offices."

He confirmed Operation Restore Order, which has made tens of thousands of people homeless in Harare's poorest suburbs, will now move to the better-off northern suburbs of the capital.

President Robert Mugabe's government says the operation, which has seen the demolition of shacks and market stalls, is an attempt to restore "order" to cities.

But the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claims it is a calculated attempt to punish its supporters, who live mainly in urban areas.

Police on Sunday bulldozed grocery shops, hair salons and out- buildings in Harare's satellite town of Chitungwiza, the Herald reported.

Churches in Zimbabwe have condemned the police action which has left many Zimbabweans without shelter in the coldest part of the year. The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) said in a statement on Sunday the action was "cruel" and "inhumane".

Two office blocks were meanwhile reported closed by police in Harare's central business district this weekend. Leslie Gwindi, a spokesperson for the city council, said the buildings were "overcrowded, filthy and unhygienic", the Herald said. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA