By Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
The Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD) strongly condemns the ongoing demolitions that have left scores of Zimbabwean citizens homeless, traumatized, and destitute. We echo the public outcry and demand that Parliament of Zimbabwe urgently reviews laws that have become instruments of oppression instead of guardians of justice.
We remind the Zimbabwean Government that the purpose of any law in a democratic society is to protect the rights of the people, especially the poor and marginalized, and to ensure accountability for both individuals and institutions. The law must not act as a shield for the elite or a weapon against the powerless.
The current demolitions, often executed with brutality and no regard for due process, have disproportionately affected poor communities, many of whom were allocated land by council authorities or were victims of fraudulent schemes led by politically connected land barons. Where are these officials and land barons now? Why is the law silent on their culpability, yet swift and merciless on the vulnerable?
We remind our nation that Zimbabwe once rose against colonial and Rhodesian laws in both the First and Second Chimurenga. Those oppressive laws prioritized the whims of the elite over the needs of the people. Today, history seems to be repeating itself under the guise of legal authority.
We ask:
▪︎ Where is the justice in punishing citizens who built homes in good faith?
▪︎ Where is the accountability for corrupt council and government officials who facilitated illegal settlements?
▪︎ Where is the legal protection for the elderly, children, and women being evicted and displaced with no alternatives?
LEAD demands:
1. An immediate moratorium on all demolitions until a fair, transparent, and humane housing regularization framework is in place.
2. A full parliamentary inquiry into the roles of government officials and land barons in the creation of illegal settlements.
3. Urgent reforms to Zimbabwe’s urban development and housing laws to prioritize people over profit and power.
4. Compensation and relocation support for all citizens already affected by these demolitions.
We must never allow our laws to become the new chains of injustice. Zimbabwe deserves laws that heal, protect, and empower not laws that mimic the whip of colonial rule.
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
President, Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats (LEAD)
Chief Labour Consultant, Mambokadzi Consultancy
Contact: +263 772 118 783
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