12 government’s plans to force all foreign currency to be traded through the banks at a sixth of the black market value. The infrastructure in several cities, having suffered from a lack of capital investment, was struggling to maintain the official populace, let alone the large numbers of people forced into the cities out of economic necessity, political violence or displacement from farms and living in informal or semi-formal structures25. Insufficient water, electricity supplies, inadequate waste and garbage disposal services had reached critical levels26. Most of this group was struggling to survive the economic meltdown that has characterized Zimbabwe since 1997, and was exacerbated after 2000. Furthermore, the government was aware that conditions were about to take a marked turn for the worse. Already high inflation was shortly to reach further and higher unprecedented levels after the implementation of a scheme to print a vast amount of money. The money was required to purchase the foreign currency to stave off IMF expulsion. Security czars reportedly thus regarded this group as highly volatile, comprised as it was of predominantly urban, opposition supporting constituents27. It appears that these concerns from various quarters converged as the motivation for the operation. The operation was carried out with brutal disregard for the law, impact upon those affected or political affiliation28. Given then, that the motivation was believed to be these political concerns, rather than social engineering, and given that women felt the greater impact of the operation, Operation Murambatsvina is included here as an instance of gender-based violence. The most obvious effect of Operation Murambatsvina is overcrowding in the more limited accommodation available. The loss of housing impacts more severely upon women in a society where they are viewed as primary care-givers. Many of these women affected by the operation often had the burden of looking after children orphaned by the aids pandemic in addition to their own or providing home based case to relatives living with AIDS. An ActionAid report indicated that 23% of affected families were hosting at least one person with HIV/AIDS before Operation Murambatsvina29. 40% of surveyed households reported that the family unit had broken up as a 25 It must, however, be noted that 76% of affected person were rate payers. None of the suburbs in Harare at present (11/06) receive constant water supplies or electricity. 27 As will be seen in the section on demonstrations below, government remains deeply fearful of people massing in the cities for any reason. 28 Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights estimated that 8 people died (two of whom were infants) as an immediate result of the operation with many more at risk due to malnutrition and exposure. See ZADHR Statement on New Developments in Operation Murambatsvina July 04, 2005 29 See ActionAid An In-Depth Study on the Impact of Operation Murambatsvina/Restore Order in Zimbabwe November 2005 (ActionAid Report) accessed from www.kubatana.net 26 “A Woman’s Place is in the Home ?” – Gender Based Violence and Opposition Politics in Zimbabwe.