They also argued that in some cases judges showed an unwillingness to deal firmly and decisively with those who violated the law, for example officials who showed disregard for legal administrative procedures during the evictions. This led to people “losing faith in the ability of the judicial process to offer them protection or other satisfactory remedies.”59 In the cases where court injunctions against the evictions were successful, local authorities and police ignored court orders. For example, police and local city council authorities in Harare ignored two existing High Court orders on June 29 and 30 “barring them from removing people from Porta Farm, on the outskirts if Harare, assaulting them or destroying their property.” The 10,000 inhabitants of Porta Farm were eventually evicted and their houses demolished by the police on June 29 and 30, 2005.60 In a meeting with representatives from NGOs and church organizations on June 15, 2005, Ignatius Chombo, claimed that the government knew what it was doing regarding the evictions and had a long term plan that was being operationalized by all the relevant ministries.61 Yet the government failed to put in place adequate infrastructure or sufficient support plans to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the evictions, including well defined relocation sites, alternative accommodation or shelter and the provision of essential services as required by international law.62 The Zimbabwe government has refused to acknowledge that the evictions were unlawful. The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs reportedly told parliament that the state was not breaching any conventions, laws or treaties in carrying out the operation but merely applying the rule of law.”63 On July 22, the government gave a strong response to the report on the evictions by UN Special Envoy on Human Settlement Issues in Zimbabwe, Anna Tibaijuka, that concluded that the evictions had taken place in an “indiscriminate and unjustified manner, with indifference to human suffering,” and called for those responsible for the evictions to be brought to justice.64 The Zimbabwe government’s Foreign Minister described the UN Special Envoy’s report as biased and false and accused her of using Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights Press Statement, “The legal implications of Operation Murambatsvina and Operation Restore Order,” June 30, 2005. 59 60 Ibid. 61 Minutes of consultative meeting on the forced evictions between government officials, representatives from local NGOs and church organizations, June 15, 2005. 62 Human Rights Watch interviews with UN officials June and July 2005. 63 The Herald newspaper, “State to relocate displaced people,” June 23, 2005. 64 UN Special Envoy on Human Settlement Issues in Zimbabwe, Report of the Fact-finding missions to assess the scope and impact of Operation Murambatsvina, July 22, 2005. 16