Back to Index

Slum dwellers demand decent housing as council dishes out 10 000 stands
Bulawayo Agenda
October 05, 2012

The Bulawayo City Council should as a matter of urgency avail respectable housing for slum dwellers in order to save lives.

This was one of the many demands issued by hundreds of slum dwellers who thronged the Bulawayo City Hall to commemorate the World Habitat Day at an event organized by Amnesty International on Monday. Bulawayo Agenda joined the world and local stakeholders in commemorating this day at the stated venue.

The Killarney, Emganwini, Trenace and Ngozi Mine illegal settlers said they are subjected to a number of human rights abuses and only the availing of alternative shelters will save them from their current difficulties.

They said they are often denied government services because they do not have legitimate physical addresses which resulted in women giving birth at home and children of primary-school going age being taught by school drop outs.

"We are treated as outcasts. We have to use other people's addresses to access maternal health care. Failure to that results in women risking losing their lives in the process of giving birth at home. We have also started a Grade Zero class that is taught by local children who have dropped out of school. We are therefore appealing to the city fathers to give us respectable accommodation," said of the presenters from Ngozi mine only identified as 'MaDhlamini'.

She also lamented the unsystematic police raids that have become a common feature in their homes. She said they are always viewed as suspects capable of committing any crime.

"We are a very respectful people who always stay away from crime. We earn our living by mostly vending and selling recyclable containers from the Ngozi mine dumpsite. Our problem has been that criminals lie to the police and say they stay in our area," she added.

Meanwhile, council has allocated 10 000 stands to reduce the number of people on the housing waiting list to a phenomenal 88 000 people.

In an interview on why council is delaying in sorting out housing for the illegal settlers, a high ranking council official who required anonymity said the Bulawayo City Council is doing its best to provide dignified shelter to all residents.

He said "council has relocated a total of 197 squatters from Killarney, Ngozi Mine, and Trenance and has given them 200 square meters each in Pumula's St Peter's area. We have been able to do this with the aid of World Vision and the IOM."

He said those that were left behind shall be considered in the next phase of the project. Asked on what council is doing to control the influx of people to the slums in order to get land, the source said criteria used by council in relocating the slum dwellers is assisting them to deal only with legitimate cases only.

"There are three things that we look at before relocating a person. First its either that person is from Bulawayo, second it's the number of years that person has been living in the slum and lastly its whether the person is known by the rest of the slum dwellers. We shall remain vigilant and council shall not just watch the low-density areas degenerating because of people who invite each other to the slums from other cities. "

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of o towns and cities and the basic right of all, to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

The theme for this year was, 'Changing Cities, Building Opportunities' because it is believed that cities are the engines of growth.

Since its inception in 2002, Bulawayo Agenda has been part of the broader democratic reform actors who have been putting pressure on the government to respect human rights which include the rights to shelter, water and maternal health.

In 2005 Bulawayo Agenda was in the forefront in condemning the inhumane Operation Murambatsvina which was sanctioned by the then ZANU PF government. The organisation continues to call upon the national and local governments to improve services delivery and people's lives.

Visit the Bulawayo Agenda fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP