4 Zimbabwe: No justice for the victims of forced evictions credible reports that officials of the Ministry of Social Welfare are accepting money from IDPs so they can be “prioritised” for the provision of the UN temporary shelters.11 The emergency shelters, which are not mobile, are only available to those who have been allocated plots of land by the authorities at Hopley camp. Several hundred people who have not been allocated a plot are unable to access the temporary shelters. Amnesty International was not able to establish what criteria the Ministry of Social Welfare was using to allocated plots at Hopley, nor why some IDPs have been left without a plot. The government has reportedly agreed to the construction of further temporary shelters in other areas of the country in the coming months. However, obstacles exist even for this limited programme; shortages of donor funding could limit the scope of the temporary shelter programme and humanitarian agencies still have to engage in negotiations with the government, even where people are obviously living in dire conditions. At the time of Amnesty International’s investigations groups of IDPs who were in immediate need of shelter reportedly could not be provided with emergency interventions because the government had not yet agreed to allow humanitarian groups to assist them.12 Repeated forced evictions While the majority of the forced evictions and demolitions took place between May and July 2005, the government has continued to periodically forcibly evict groups of people, often from the place to which they relocated after their homes were demolished during Operation Murambatsvina.13 These forced evictions, as well as being deeply traumatic for victims, have resulted in further loss of possessions and have undermined their right to live with dignity. In May 2006 Amnesty International interviewed a group of IDPs living in makeshift shelters in a suburb of Harare (see photo, next page). They reported that they had been living there since the brick cottages they had been renting were destroyed a year before. They had constructed shacks out of the remains of their former homes and any other materials they could find. Approximately 150 households were living in this manner on scrubland. They reported that, in December 2005, municipal officials had destroyed some of their makeshift shelters and told them to go to Hopley IDP camp. However, at Hopley they were told that they had to consult with ruling party leadership before being allowed to move there. In January 2006 they obtained a letter from a ruling party official and presented this to the authorities at Hopley. By May 2006 they had still received no response and remained living in the same spot under very inadequate shelter. Amnesty International subsequently received reports that on 15 June municipal police forcibly evicted the group, pulled down their structures with crowbars and set them alight. They told the people they had to move but provided no alternative location or accommodation. 11 Amnesty International phone interviews with confidential sources in Harare, 14 and 15 August 2006. Amnesty International interviews with IDPs and humanitarian aid workers, May and August 2006. Amnesty International interviews with victims of Operation Murambatsvina, church workers and NGOs in July/August 2005 and April/May 2006. 12 13 Amnesty International 8 September 2006 AI Index: AFR 46/005/2006