THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has criticized the government's "Zionist" approach in dealing with illegal occupations of land on the back of fears that the nation is slowly backsliding to the 2005 demolitions.
The remarks follow country-wide evictions affecting thousands of households. To date such demolitions have taken place in Masvingo affecting Village 9 in Summerton Resettlement Area under Chief Bere, Zero Farm in Nemanwa under Chief Mugabe and Matabeleland South's Nyandeni village.
Many occupants facing demolitions had settled in the areas for decades only to be hauled before the courts of law for illegal land occupation.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com Tuesday, ZCTU secretary general, Japhet Moyo implored government officials to respect human dignity above any other interests.
He expressed worries that the blitz is taking place without consideration of the consequences on the affected people, especially women and children, leaving thousands homeless.
"Land is a right and thus should be accessible to all individuals. In the past, we have noted regularisation of informal settlements for political expediency. Now that elections are over, politicians are looking the other way as if nothing is happening.
"We are faced with a humanitarian crisis, we expect the government to approach the issue with cool heads. A 'Zionist' approach towards alleged illegal settlers is not a solution," said Moyo.
He warned that current developments are likely to backslide the nation into the ill-fated 2005 Operation Murambatsvina.
The ZCTU said it stands against the perpetuation of exclusionary colonial laws that continue to malign the poor.
Moyo said while some villagers are being evicted from their ancestral lands in the colonial style to pave way for so-called investors without due care to where they will go, some are being evicted by greedy 'chefs' who want more land for themselves.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The same laws being invoked to evict villagers are also undermining the authority of traditional leaders who settled the villagers in the first place. These villagers were not settling themselves, but they got a go ahead from traditional leaders and in some cases, they got a go ahead from lands officers.
"The same laws being invoked to evict villagers are also undermining the authority of traditional leaders who settled the villagers in the first place. These villagers were not settling themselves, but they got a go ahead from traditional leaders and in some cases, they got a go ahead from lands officers.
"The operation has exposed our government's ineptitude. It left the villagers undisturbed for decades only to bombard them with evictions on short notice. If our leaders have the conscience and time for some soul searching, they would realize their errors and omissions," he said.
Moyo urged the government to admit that it erred in resettling the villagers through traditional authorities and underscored that the operation smacks of a political witch-hunt designed to instill fear in the rural populations for self-serving sadistic political control of peace loving Zimbabweans.
