The Wire

Under the oppressive Mugabe regime, high rates of unemployment and an inflation rate of 1000 per cent are compounded by the continued erosion of human rights. Last year, in what the United Nations Secretary-General has described as a “catastrophic injustice”, 700,000 men, women and children were left homeless or without a livelihood, as the Government carried out mass forced evictions and demolitions. Well, it’s one year on and some say the situation is looking just as bad, if not worse. Last weekend, in commemoration of the demolitions, local church and civic groups organised community protests, but Zimbabwe police banned any public rallies, citing fears the demonstrations could become violent. Protests and public prayer did go ahead on Saturday after the High Court overturned the police ban, but Dr David Dorward, Director of the African Research Institute at La Trobe University wonders if continued protests will have any real effect on the ruling party.