Harare in turmoil
08/06/2005 14:12  - (SA)  

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Harare - Zimbabwean police briefly detained an opposition legislator and his two aides on Wednesday, the eve of a mass two-day strike against a highly controversial urban clean-up campaign which has displaced several thousands.

"The police raided my home early this morning and arrested me, saying I sent some youths to go round my constituency inciting people to engage in violent protests," said Job Sikhala.

"They released me and one of my aides after four hours but they have taken my driver to central investigations department, saying he used my car to drive around youths who were distributing flyers calling for a stayaway."

Protest against clean-up operation

A coalition of opposition, labour, students and rights groups has called for people to stay away from work on Thursday to protest against the clean-up drive that has also left thousands destitute, with street vendors' kiosks destroyed, and led to the detention of at least 22 000.

Sikhala said: "I don't know why the police always target me. The organisers of the protests came out in the open in newspaper articles and I am not one of those mentioned."

Residents of Harare's residential areas woke up on Wednesday to find the streets littered with flyers urging them to join the strike as police warned they would "deal" with the protesters.

One of the flyers read: "Stayaway on 9 and 10 June. No fuel. No Food. No houses. No jobs. Operation Povho Yaramba. (The people say no)."

A fear-instilling tactic

Military helicopters hovered over Harare's central business district and residential areas at several points on Monday in what was interpreted by many as a fear-instilling tactic.

Armed police have gone on the rampage in the last two weeks in major towns across Zimbabwe, demolishing and torching backyard shacks and makeshift shop stalls in a campaign that has drawn widespread condemnation.

Affected families have been sleeping in the open in several townships and slums on the outskirts of Harare while others are battling to find transport to take them to their rural homes.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition party, last week called for protests against the clean-up campaign and called for foreign intervention to pressure President Robert Mugabe's government to end the controversial drive in major towns and cities.

A United Nations expert last week accused Harare of "a gross violation of human rights" and of creating a "new kind of apartheid".

- AFP

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