Hundreds of riot police armed with hammers and axes on Friday demolished houses and shacks on the outskirts of Harare as a campaign against illegal settlements forged ahead in Zimbabwe.
The demolition, conducted mainly by young paramilitary police wearing new uniforms, came as human rights lawyers filed urgent legal challenges to the crackdown, which has been described by rights bodies as brutal and unjustified. Police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka said some 3,000 police had been deployed countrywide to carry out the campaign dubbed Operation Restore Order, sparking riots in some Harare suburbs.
"We are mobilising more resources - both human and material," Mandipaka told AFP as police descended on some 9,000 shacks and houses at White Cliff farm, also known as Tongogara, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) outside of the capital.
The settlement situated near a major dam supplying the capital with its drinking water, has no roads, sewer or water facilities and its presence close to the city's water source had raised concerns for some politicians.
When AFP visited the settlement, police armed with axes, picks and heavy duty hammers were tearing at the walls of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front's offices.
Resident Reason Ndlovu said the area housed 7,000 mainly ruling ZANU-PF members and some 2,000 government workers including members of the police force, soldiers, prison officials and state security officials.
Residents said they were given plots of land to build houses in 2001 as part of a housing cooperative scheme backed by government.
Critics saw human rights lawyer Tafadzwa Mugabe said the campaign launched last week that has seen thousands of corner shops, street stalls and flea markets demolished as retribution against urban dwellers who voted for the opposition in the March elections.
But Mandipaka dismissed the assertion, saying the action was targeted against lawlessness and disorder.
"There is no politics at play here, it's a question of criminality that has reached unacceptable levels," said Mandipaka.
"There is no going back, nothing will stop us, come rain, come sunshine, come politics, we are not going to be deterred," he said.
Commenting for the first time on the operation President Robert Mugabe said government had to take action over the worsening conditions in urban areas.
"Our cities had deteriorated in terms of infrastructure. Government had to act to clean up the whole mess in order to restore our cities and towns to the old fame of cleanliness and safety," he told senior members of his ruling party at a meeting Friday.
Police have arrested about 17,000 people nationwide in the crackdown, he said.
Mugabe of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said the "arbitrary action" violated the country's constitution and international rights such as protection of the law, the right to property, housing, education and health.
"We are filing applications on the behalf of the people affected directly or otherwise," said Mugabe.
At White Cliff, Elias Masuku, father of six, stood in front of his makeshift house with his household contents piled outside as the demolition campaign engulfed more of the settlement.
"Our government has turned against us. We voted for them and now they are dumping us as if we stink," he said with his anxious children and wife sitting speechless.
"It's because we are now too many for this country. If that is the case, then they should just kill some of us," he said.
"Last night we heard that White Cliff would be spared... Why were we not given three months notice as the law states," asked Ndlovu.
"We are pleading to the president to intervene in this case," he said.