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Zimbabwe: Situation of both white people and suspected sympathisers in the capital Harare with respect to recent takeover of white-owned lands by war veterans (April 2000-February 2001)

Specific information on the living situation in Harare of both white people and suspected sympathizers with respect to the takeover of white farmers' lands by the war veterans could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, a 18 December 2000 Zimbabwe Independent report, revealed that "employees at Medical Chambers in Harare have received threatening phones calls and letters from suspected war veterans in a development they think may be linked to treatment provide to injured commercial farmers."

Addressing to his ruling ZANU-PF supporters at Harare Sport Centre, the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe urged black Zimbabweans "to unite against whites and hearts" (CNN 14 Dec. 2000).

"Our party must continue to strike fear in the heart of the white man, our real enemy."

Referring to white people as "crooks and cheats", President Mugabe declared the following:

"These crooks, really, we inherited as part of our population," he said in the BBC programme, Talkabout Africa. "We cannot expect them to have straightened up, to be honest people, and an honest community, all told (Zimbabwe Standard 22 Oct. 2000).

BBC noted, in its 1 April 2000 report, that government supporters had attacked opposition protesters while they were marching in Harare against farm occupation, "with whites being singled out for attack."

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

BBC News. 1 April 2000. "In Pictures: Harare Protesters." <http:www.news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_698000/698258.stm> [accessed 15 Feb. 2001].

CNN. 14 December 2000. "Zimbabwe's Mugabe Urges Blacks to 'Strike Fear in White Man." <http:www.cnn.com/2000/World/africa/12/14/mugabe.zimbabwe.htm> [Accessed 15 Feb. 2001]

Zimbabwe Independent [Harare]. 29 September 2000. Brian Hungwe. "Zimbabwe; Suspected War Vets Worked at Medical Chambers." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Zimbabwe Standard [Harare]. 22 October 2000. Cornelius Nduna. "Mugabe Blasts Whites." <http://www.apopulistreview.com/special_links/mugabe_blasts_whites.htm> [Accessed 14 Feb. 2001).

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential 2000-February 2001.

Africa Research Bulletin 2000.

IRB Databases.

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligeant 2000-February 2001.

Keesing's Record of World Events 2000.

Le Nouvel Afrique-Asie 2000-January 2001.

LEXIS/NEXIS.

REFWORD.

Resource Centre country file. 2000-2001. Zimbabwe.

World News Connection (WNC).

Internet Sites, including:

Amnesty International Online.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Online.

International Crisis Group (ICG).

Mail & Guardian.

Minorities at Risk Project.

Missionary Service News Agency (MISNA).

ReliefWeb.

Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum.

The Zimbabwe Independent.

Zimbabwe News Online.

Search Engines, including:

Dogpile.

Google.

Lycos.

Yahoo.