ActionAid International Southern Africa Partnership Programme (SAPP-Zimbabwe)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Zimbabwe “Operation Murambatsvina/Restore Order” Survey represents a unique
opportunity to gain insights into the impact of Operation Murambatsvina on
communities and households where the Operation was executed since 18 May 2005. This
report attempts to give a factual account of the impact “Operation Murambatsvina/Restore
Order”. This is done through analysis of the impact at both household level and
communities.
A structured questionnaire was used in the collection of data from 23,511 respondents
distributed in 66 affected high density wards in 6 urban cetres of Zimbabwe. The
quantitative household survey was designed to collect the following types of information
from the interviewed households: 1) household demographics, 2) Livelihood activities
affected by the operation, 3) household impact, 4) current coping mechanisms being
employed by the communities in response to the operation, 5) assistance communities
are currently receiving 6) assistance currently being offered and assistance perceived as
required by the communities.
Initially 110 team leaders for each ward were trained on the administration of the
questionnaire and sampling procedures. Thereafter, a further 9 researchers were trained
by the team leaders at ward level. Therefore, 520 researchers collected this information
over a two day period. At least 500 homesteads were visited in each ward during the
course of the study. This represents a third of homesteads per ward. Data collected was
entered stored and exported into Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 13.
Subsequently, analysis was done to generate frequencies, descriptive and derived
variables.
National impact of the operation
Area
Projected Proportion Proportion A total of 1,193,370
individuals
were
Affected
Total
Area
Population1
Affected population affected by Operation
Murambatsvina in the
(%)
(%)
six sampled urban
Harare
851,434
71
59
areas. Harare was the
Bulawayo
196,635
16
29
hardest
hit
area
Mutare
92,481
8
54
accounting for 71% of
Kariba
12,793
1
37
individuals affected by
Beitbridge
22,920
2
42
the Operation.
Victoria Falls
17,107
2
54
Total population
1,193,370
100
49
Bulawayo was the
second worst affected nationally, however, the proportion of individuals in Bulawayo
affected were less than 30% and this figure is the lowest at city or town level. Other
statistics for all areas are shown in the table above.
Total population affected in sample*average national household size (4.2)*average households per
homestead (3)*the real population in the high density suburbs. However, this does not take into
consideration people in transit camps, people that have already relocated and other areas where the
operation was effected but not sampled.
1
Zimbabwe Operation Murambatsvina/Restore Order National Survey Report
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