MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on forced evictions in Zimbabwe
19.10.2010
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Alain Cadec, Filip Kaczmarek, Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Cristian Dan Preda, Bernd Posselt, Tunne Kelam, Monica Luisa Macovei, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Elena Băsescu, Mario Mauro, Sari Essayah, Dominique Baudis on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0583/2010
B7‑0587/2010
European Parliament resolution on forced evictions in Zimbabwe
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its numerous previous resolutions on human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, most recently that of 8 July 2010
– 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 report by the UN Secretary General 's Special Envoy on human settlements, Anna Tibajuka of July 2005,
– 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. considérant les engagements souscrits par les autorités zimbabwéennes dans le cadre de la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme, du Pacte International relatif aux Droits civils et politiques, du Pacte International relatif aux Droits économiques, sociaux et culturels et de la Charte Africaine des Droits de l’homme et des Peuples et de la Charte de l’Union Africaine sur les Déplacés internes
B. Whereas the destruction by the Zimbabwe programme of mass forced eviction known as operation Murambatsvina left hundreds of thousands of people without their homes, their livelihoods and the informal employment sector;
C. Whereas the Operation Garikai designed to cater for victims of evictions was wholly inadequate as a remedy for the serious violations of the right to adequate housing perpetrated under Operation Murambatsvina;
D. Whereas five years after the mass forced evictions, residents at Operation Garikayi settlements are surviving in deplorable conditions in plastic shacks without access to basic essential services;
E. 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 of up to 140 USD charged by the authorities;
F. Whereas Many of the settlement's 3,000 households the residents 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%;
G. 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 new forced eviction;
H. Whereas the forced evictions of thousands including over 220,000 children have exacerbated the already dire situation in Zimbabwe. The country which has the world's fourth- highest rate of HIV prevalence, while also grappling with fuel shortages, a growing food emergency, declining economic performance and the sharpest rises in child mortality;
1. Insists that The Zimbabwean authorities must halt the pending evictions of up to 20,000 people from an informal settlement on the outskirts of Harare for failure to pay prohibitively high lease renewal fees demanded by the authorities;
2. Calls on the government of Zimbabwe to immediately scrap the arbitrarily imposed lease renewal fees which residents simply have no means of paying. Instead use the money from Diamonds sells to meet the needs of its people;
3. Reminds the government of Zimbabwe of its obligation to provide protection of its citizens from the cycle of insecurity and further violations by providing security of tenure and affordable payment plans for leases."
4. Suggests that the Government of Zimbabwe conduct an assessment of material and social losses caused by the operation Murambatsvina and compensate all those people who, as a result of the named operation, have lost their homes, livelihoods and social networks;
5. Insists that the government of Zimbabwe reviews and revises the Operation Garikayi, in genuine consultation with survivors, to address the housing needs of all survivors of Operation Murambatsvina;
6. Calls on government of Zimbabwe to take all necessary measures, including the adoption of laws and policies that comply with international human rights law, to prohibit and prevent forced evictions.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Emphasises the importance of dialogue between the European Union and Zimbabwe and welcomes the progress that has been made in this direction.
10. 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.