11 Table 1 Alleged violations [n=447] Source: Human Rights Forum [“Forum data”] Number [percentage] Arson 16[4%] Assault 246[58%] Attempted murder 2[0.5%] Civil rights violations 22[5%] Death threats 28[7%] Displacement 20[5%] Kidnapping 39[9%] Murder 9[2%] Political intimidation 81[19%] Property destruction 83[20%] Rape 26[6%] Sexual abuse 1[0.2%] Torture 32[8%] Theft 23[5%] Unlawful arrest & detention 40[9%] Given that women are less likely to be in the forefront of political activism than men, the high incidence of women who have experienced assault suggests the possibility that women who do become exposed to situations where violence may occur may be as likely or more likely to experience assault. Operation Murambatsvina Although billed by government as an “urban clean-up” operation in which municipal by-laws were enforced, there can be little doubt that the motivations for this action lie elsewhere and numerous explanations have been proffered. The suggestion of extending the operation to affluent suburbs where violations of building regulations are also evident appeared to be a token gesture by government, merely intended to support the idea that the operation was an enforcement of by-laws. No bulldozers appeared in these suburbs. The target was clearly city dwellers who were not in formal employment or formal accommodation. The government was disaffected with this group for several reasons23. Many of those in informal employment traded in the numerous flea markets that had grown up in and around the city24. Goods for these flea markets were purchased by cross-border traders, in most instances women, who sourced foreign currency on the black market to buy goods in South Africa for resale in Zimbabwe. This upset 23 24 Brian Raftopoulos The Battle for the Cities June 08, 2005 available at www.kubatana.net Most of which within the city were established in accordance with the law and the majority of traders paying licence fees to the City “A Woman’s Place is in the Home ?” – Gender Based Violence and Opposition Politics in Zimbabwe.