26 Zimbabwe: No justice for the victims of forced evictions undesignated area. Police officers confiscate goods, which are rarely returned, and in many cases also fine the traders. Vendors and traders described their existence as a desperate form of “hide and seek”, selling goods by the roadside while watching for signs of police. When police appear they pack up their goods - if they have time - and run, only to return when the police have gone. Throughout the mission Amnesty International witnessed the difficult situation faced by vendors. On a quiet street corner in Victoria Falls Amnesty International met a widow with two children selling sweets. She explained that she could no longer trade openly since Operation Murambatsvina. Trying to trade while “hiding” from the police had significantly reduced her income. “I was selling in a public place before Operation Murambatsvina but I was arrested. Now you have to find a corner where they can’t find you. If police get you they take all your goods and you have to pay a fine…When the police come I run away. I hide my goods and run. If I carried my goods I could not run fast enough. I run away because I can’t afford the fine.” While selling sweets on a busy street she could turn-over up to Z$500,000 (US$5.00) per day, five times more than the Z$100,000 (US$1.00) she can turn-over now in her quiet, hidden spot. Vendors also reported that police confiscate goods even from vendors who have a licence. Vendors who have goods taken by the police have little or no possibility of redress or compensation. In Masvingo police attempting to prevent vending are even stopping women walking in the street with fruits and vegetables, accusing them of being vendors. These goods are reportedly confiscated. A female staff member of one human rights organisation explained how this had happened to her: “I was walking home with my groceries when a police officer stopped me and said I was selling. I argued with the police and finally they gave up and left me with my goods. The police are targeting women, because most of the vendors are women.” The women’s activist group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), many of whose members are informal traders launched a protest action on 19 June, demanding the right to earn a living, saying: “One year after Operation Murambatsvina started many vendors are still harassed daily, their goods confiscated. Many brave enough to try to get vending licences are told they have to have ZANU PF party cards in order to register. With 80 per cent unemployment, the only hope for many Zimbabweans lies in their own sweat, selling whilst dodging police and council police who confiscate their goods without any recourse.” The right to work is recognised in article 6 of the ICESCR and article 15 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. As stated by the Committee on Economic, Amnesty International 8 September 2006 AI Index: AFR 46/005/2006