An in-depth Study on the impacts of Operation Murambatsvina
other 2 sites, but, as was also seen earlier, Harare had greater frequencies of people with
higher trauma scores (greater number of different trauma types experienced). The pattern
overall reflects the known history of each of these periods.
Table 7: Trauma over the years: Percentage of persons reporting trauma experience
Year range
Harare
Bulawayo
Mutare
<1980
27.4%*
45.1%
46.4%
1980 - 1987
30%
58.3%*
47.3%
1990 - 1997
57.4%
62.4%
70.3%*
1998 - 2000
80.5%
65.3%*
89.5%
2001 - 2004
88.9%
81.6%
97.9%*
2005
97.4%
93.3%*
100%
xli
*
As can be seen from Table 8 below, both the frequencies and the mean trauma scores have
increased over the years, with a large increase in both from 1998 onwards, which
corresponds more or less exactly to the development of the current Zimbabwe crisis. It is
noteworthy that the highest frequencies and mean trauma scores are recorded this year,
strongly suggesting that Operation Murambatsvina has had serious consequences for the mental
health of those people affected.
Table 8: Trauma over the years: Frequency of trauma items reported
<1980
1980-1987 1990-1997 1998-2000 2001-2004
Food
3.3%
13.7%
25.9%
21.7%
45.4%
Medical
1.3%
5%
6.2%
17.5%
35%
Shelter
2.6%
5.1%
5%
8.9%
15.4%
Imprisonment
5.2%
4.8%
4.3%
16.4%
20.6%
Injury
3.6%
4.8%
5.9%
15.7%
23.3%
Combat
2.1%
2.7%
8%
22.6%
25.2%
Rape
2%
3.3%
1.7%
8.4%
10.7%
Isolation
3.1%
4.4%
2.3%
9.1%
12.2%
Close to death
2.9%
5.9%
3.2%
12.4%
16.1%
Separation
2.8%
5.5%
2.5%
9.3%
10.1%
Murder of
4.9%
6.8%
2.6%
9.8%
11.5%
family
Unnatural
3.4%
6.2%
6.1%
12.9%
17.9%
death
Murder of
2.8%
4.3%
2.1%
8.8%
10.5%
stranger
Kidnapped
2.8%
3.9%
2.8%
10.7%
11.3%
Severe
6.1%
6.9%
5.3%
24%
31%
beatings
Torture
5.3%
8.1%
2.8%
16%
21.7%
Frightening
2.1%
6.2%
4.7%
15.9%
19.4%
time
Confiscation
2.3%
3.4%
1.3%
6%
14%
19
2005
76%
56.9%
66.4%
23.4%
16.4%
15.9%
8.2%
26.8%
17.5%
33.6%
6.2%
14.4%
5.8%
8.7%
19.9%
13.9%
18.8%
56.2%
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