HEAL ZIMBABWE - BASELINE STUDY REPORT Social/economic policy failures: In early 1990s the economic situation started deteriorating as a result of the Structural Adjustment programmes. Between 2000 and 2008, Zimbabwe again experienced the worst economic decline characterised with rising unemployment, inflation, price fluctuations and corruption. In this study, respondents identified the government indigenisation laws, the rising informal economy, and deindustrialisation of the Matabeleland region and lack of protection of vendors, Structural Adjustment Programmes, job losses as key economic experiences warranting attention of the NPRC. Generally, these violations are a result of the government’s economic policy proclamations resulting in communities losing their possessions. For example, the land reform policy, the dollarization policy, economic structural adjustment policies and the labour policies affected people’s livelihoods. The land reform policy: Arguably took place in a chaotic manner with many White people losing their farms. About 3 900 white commercial farmers lost their farms while 224 000 farm workers lost their jobs and benefits while about 75% of them became landless and unemployed.49 In most instances, new farm owners did not continue employing the farm workers and they also did not compensate the majority of employees for lost benefits. Operation Murambatsvina: Was identified as yet another crucial point in Zimbabwe’s history that should be addressed within a reconciliation process. Operation Murambatsvina refers to the government’s action of demolishing houses and market stalls that were considered illegal in urban areas and growth points.50 Respondents argued that the government violated the people’s human rights by destroying their houses under the guise of enforcing council by-laws, restoring order and sanity in towns and stopping illegal businesses and informal settlements. On 19 May 2005 the Government of Zimbabwe launched Operation Murambatsvina where the “police burnt, bulldozed and destroyed tens of thousands of properties around the country.”51 The United Nations estimated that 700 000 people were made homeless, forced out of their homes or lost their livelihoods which constitute serious human rights violations. Sachikonye, L. (2003). Land Reform and Farm Workers. Retrieved from http://ir.uz.ac.zw/jspui/bitstream/ handle/10646/365/Sachikonye-land-reform.pdf?sequence=1. See also Hawkins, T. (2013). Zimbabwe Land Reform – How Successful. Retrieved from http://www.cfuzim.org/index.php/land-facts/3700-zimbabwe-land-reform-howsuccessful 50 Potts, D. (2006). ‘Restoring order’? Operation Murambatsvina and the urban crisis in Zimbabwe. Journal of Southern African Studies, 32(2), 273-291. 51 Human Rights Watch. (2011). The Implementation of Operation Murambatsvina (Clear the Filth) Retrieved from https:// www.hrw.org/legacy/backgrounder/africa/zimbabwe0905/4.htm 49 27