REPORT ON FORCED EVICTIONS AT NEWPARK AND GOODHOPE EXTENSION SETTLEMENTS An exercise was carried out to verify that the people settled at New Park and Goodhope settlements on the Northwestern outskirts of Harare had been forcibly rendered homeless, and was in the processes of being displaced from their area of residence, by the Government of Zimbabwe. These two settlements were established as housing cooperatives in 2000. The land on which the two co-operatives are situated was officially given to the two by the then minister of Local Government, Mr. John Nkomo, sometime in 2002. An official document detailing this handover, signed by the Minister is said to exist. The housing co-operatives are all officially registered with the Ministry responsible for co-operatives. Certificates of registration proving their existence.. In the last five years, several Government officials have visited and commended the co-operatives on their housing initiatives, and pledged Government support for their efforts. Roads had been constructed at the site, and plans to lay a reticulation system were being mooted. Buses from the Zupco bus company had begun to service the area. The demolition of the residents’ houses was carried out from Saturday, 28 May, from three o’clock in the afternoon, and it continued through out the night until Sunday evening. The police supervising the demolition have warned the residents that by Tuesday everyone ought to have vacated the site, whether or not they would have finished removing their belongings. Those who fail to comply for whatever reason would be forcibly taken to New Caledonia farm, which is on the outskirts of Harare, next to Tafara Township. At New Caledonia the people would be accommodated only for a week while they look for alternative accommodation. If they fail to find it, they would be forcibly taken to Mbare Musika to board buses to their rural homes. As of Sunday afternoon 29 May, many families were still at New Park and Goodhope still trying to salvage what remained of their property after the Government bulldozer had destroyed their houses. The affected population is about 4 000 people. Reasons for removing the residents are that they are alleged to have settled themselves illegally. However, it is interesting to note that Good Hope and New Park do not fall within the boundaries of Harare, but are under the jurisdiction of the Zvimba Rural District Council. At New Park, there is an unconfirmed rumour that the residents were being evicted because the land had allegedly been sold to two Chinese companies by a Government Minister, for four billion dollars. One of the companies, supposed to have purchased the land, is currently involved in brickmaking at a nearby site. It has been noted that army trucks are coming to the area to collect some of the materials that the former inhabitants left behind. They are collecting building materials, like roofing sheets, face bricks, and building sand. REPORT ON FORCED EVICTIONS AT TAFARA, MABVUKU, HIGHFIELD & GLEN VIEW In Tafara and Mabvuku, the police came and demolished a small part of the backyard structures at homes near Mabvuku police station. They then gave a warning that they would return on Wednesday, 8 May, to finish off the rest of the suburb. They then went around advising the residents to start voluntarily removing their property from the backyard structures before they lose their property when they come. In Mabvuku and Tafara virtually every home has a backyard structure. If the evictions are to take place about half the suburbs population of about sixty thousand will be without accommodation. About half the backyard structures were being demolished and the occupants of those houses were sleeping in the open.