Operation Murambatsvina

[Paine]

Since Zimbabwe’s police force ordered residents of shantytowns in Harare to tear down their homes, thousands of officers have gone on a rampage of destruction, leaving 200,000 people homeless.

 

President Robert Mugabe’s urban clean-up movement, dubbed “Operation Murambatsvina” or “Operation Restore Order”, is allegedly aimed at curbing crime and garbage caused by rapid urbanization over the past several years. But many Zimbabweans have translated it as “Operation Drive Out Rubbish,” given that most of those targeted are poor.

 

Houses have been demolished around the country and some of those made homeless are being sent back to their rural homes.

 

Shops have been rendered into piles of plastic sheeting and rubble and at least 22,000 street traders have been arrested.

 

Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) told a news conference: “Property worth millions of dollars has gone up in flames. Families are out in the open - without jobs, without income, without shelter, without support. Overnight, Zimbabwe has a massive internal refugee population in its urban areas.”

 

Tsvangirai alleges urban poor are being punished for voting against Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party in recent general elections.

 

Amnesty International and the US government have also criticised the campaign.

 

An alliance of civil rights groups, opposition parties and workers’ unions in Zimbabwe has called for a two-day strike next week to protest the hardships inflicted on them.

 

 

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I only have 3 words for this.

 

Mugabe Equals S!@#$%^&*.

[MonteZuma]

Why isn't more being done about it?

[Paine]

Why isn't more being done about it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I... don't know...

[Aileron]

Answer: Every time a larger country harr!@#$%^&*es a government such as this one the international media portrays that country as imperialistic.

[MonteZuma]

I don't think the media is doing that in relation to Zimbabwe. The media seem to be portraying Mugabe as a slighly deranged despot turning his nation into a banana republic. Beyond that, I don't think the media is analysing the events in Zimbabwe at all. I think the media would not take the 'imperialist' view if intervention was part of a transparent and international campaign to set things right.

[white_0men]

What was it...some 90% of the media is owned by 5 or 6 companies. So they'll portray whatever it is they want to. What is important is that the people there need help and aren't getting any.

 

Is it because they are black and don't have oil?

[SeVeR]

I don't trust news about Mugabe anymore.. in fact i don't trust any news about foreign countries because it always seems to be bi!@#$%^&*ed against countries Tony Blair doesn't like.

 

For example in India the government has recently demolished many homes belonging to poor people. These homes were in close proximity to an airport. The reason for their demolision is this: They don't want these poor people making the country look bad when tourists come of the planes. This has been given near zero publicity, I only know about it because my Dad heard it once on a sky news broadcast. I didn't even own a TV last year and somehow still got sick of hearing how Mugabe = S!@#$%^&* because of this and that.

 

Its going on everywhere, just Blair and others of similar thought don't like Mugabe. What would happen if Bush and Blair suddenly told us all that a weaker country was building powerful weapons that they intended to use against us and as a result invaded this country? Oh wait they did. What would happen if Mugabe did this and invaded Kenya or some place like that? We'd be all over his !@#$%^&*. Mugabe is sorting out his own country in the way that he sees fit too.

 

Blair is spreading all this bullsh*t about Mugabe because he wants public opinion on his side if and when he decides to send troops there.

[MonteZuma]

Yeah. I kinda agree. China will probably do much the same thing for the Olympics.

 

I think that most of the media are too easily influenced by government spin doctoring. Having said that, Mugabe does seem to be unpredictable, and therefore dangerous.

 

Undoubtedly black people in Zimbabwe were disenfranchised by a colonial power and some things need to be changed/improved, but I don't think Mugabe will be a man that will do any good for Zimbabwe or the region. I don't know what should be done about it now? Open, international discussion and debate is probably the first step.