MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on forced evictions in Zimbabwe

19.10.2010

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Véronique De Keyser, Corina Creţu, Ana Gomes on behalf of the S&D Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0583/2010

B7‑0585/2010

European Parliament resolution on forced evictions in Zimbabwe

The European Parliament,

-          having regard to its numerous previous resolutions on Zimbabwe, most recently that of 8 July 2010

 

-          having regard to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 11); International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 17); Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 27 [3]); Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Article 14 [2]); and Articles 7 (1) (d) and 7 (2) (d) of the Rome Statute.

 

–         having regard to Council Common Position 2010/92/CFSP of 15 February 2010(2) renewing until 20 February 2011 the restrictive measures against Zimbabwe imposed under Common Position 2004/161/CFSP(3) , and to Commission Regulation 1226/2008 of 8 December 2008(4) , amending the Common Position,

 

–         having regard to the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 22 February 2010 on Zimbabwe, and to the conclusions of the 10th EU-South Africa Ministerial Political Dialogue of 11 May 2010 on Zimbabwe,

 

–          having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples" Rights, which Zimbabwe has ratified,

 

–         having regard to the EU-ACP Cotonou Partnership Agreement, signed on 23 June 2000,

 

–         having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A.       Whereas up to 20,000 people living in an informal settlement known as Hatcliffe Extension on the outskirts of Harare have been threatened with forced eviction for failure to pay prohibitively high lease renewal fees charged by the authorities;

 

B.        Whereas the government of Zimbabwe is demanding lease renewal fees of up to140 USD;

 

C.       Whereas the residents of Hatcliffe Extension are some of the poorest people in Zimbabwe, a country with a less than 100 USD per capita income and chronic unemployment of around 90%;

 

D.       Whereas residents were not consulted on the fees or the renewal process which sets a restrictively short time frame to renew lease agreements or face forced eviction;

 

E.        Whereas most of the residents were allocated the plots of land after they were forcibly evicted by the authorities under the country's 2005 mass forced evictions programme 'Operation Murambatsvina in which around 700,000 people lost their homes and livelihoods;

 

F.        Whereas five years after the mass forced evictions, residents at such settlements are surviving in deplorable conditions without access to basic essential services;

 

G.       Whereas excessive lease fees are not restricted to Hatcliffe Extension and residents of other informal settlements around the country are also under threat of eviction;

 

H.       Whereas the appalling humanitarian, political, and economic situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate, with millions of Zimbabweans continually at risk of starvation and surviving on food aid;

 

1.        Demands an immediate end to the threat of mass forced evictions in Zimbabwe and insists that unrestricted access be granted to relief and humanitarian agencies to assist those under threat and other internally displaced people;

 

2.        Calls on the government of Zimbabwe to immediately scrap the arbitrarily imposed lease renewal fees which residents simply have no means of paying;

 

3.        Reminds the government of Zimbabwe of its obligation under international conventions to guarantee the rights to life, security of the person, adequate housing, food and freedom from torture. Once again demands that the Mugabe regime fulfil its pledge to provide sufficient housing for all those forced out of their homes during the appalling Operation Murambatsvina campaign in 2005,

 

4.        Deeply regrets that Zimbabwe's attempts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, which are already severely off track will be only placed in further peril from such mass evictions,

 

5.        Recalls that the fight against HIV-AIDS and maternal mortality is being undermined by the government's abusive practices such as its eviction programme which has disrupted access to basic healthcare and education,

 

6.        Calls on South Africa and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), in their own interests as well as those of Zimbabwe and the wider southern African region, to take measures to encourage a return to full democracy in Zimbabwe and respect for the rule of law and the human rights of the people of Zimbabwe; recognises that Mugabe and his close supporters remain a continuing stumbling block in the process of political and economic reconstruction and reconciliation in Zimbabwe, plundering as they do its economic resources for their own benefit,

 

7.        Emphasises the importance of dialogue between the European Union and Zimbabwe and welcomes the progress that has been made in this direction,

 

8.        Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and candidate countries, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission, the Governments and Parliaments of Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Co-Presidents of the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the African Union institutions including the Pan-African Parliament, the UN Secretary-General, the Secretary General of the SADC and the Commonwealth Secretary-General.