Suburban
THE perennial problem of illegal settlers fuelling crime in Avondale has cropped up once again with residents saying the settlers are now selling drugs and other harmful substances to youths in the suburb.
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
Over the years, Avondale residents have been complaining about the illegal settlers who have set up their base behind Avondale shopping centre saying they were responsible for criminal activities in the suburb.
Of late the illegal settlers are said to have found a new avenue to earn some money through selling drugs, which are destroying the lives of youths in the area while young girls are being lured into prostitution.
Concerned residents pleaded with the City of Harare to remove the illegal settlers who are living near the Avondale stream from where they sell drugs and engage in other nefarious activities.
“We are experiencing a rise in the crime rate in Avondale.
“We have illegal settlers who sell marijuana, crystal meth and many other dangerous drugs.
“They put their structures right beside this stream which stretches from the University of Zimbabwe and runs through Avondale shopping centre,” said a resident Fungai Mupfuyanzara.
Residents feared that if the situation is not brought under control, youths in the suburb will be exposed to all sorts of drugs and despicable behaviour.
“These people are killing our youths who had so much potential by making such dangerous drugs available whenever they want them.
“We now see young men and women frequenting their (illegal settlers’) cabins to get these substances and this is creating an impossible situation for the Avondale community,” said a resident.
Added another resident: “We are appealing to the local authority to remove these squatters from our ward. Avondale has some of the best areas in Harare which can even attract investment and such scenes should be removed from the community. In some of these areas, residents cannot even walk in the evening as they may be mugged by these people whose shacks have become hubs of crime.”
Another group of settlers have also set up base in Kenny Road in Kensington.
Four years ago, residents living along Kenny Road petitioned council over noise and environmental pollution caused by illegal settlers living at the back of their properties at Avondale Creek in Kensington.
In their petition which they copied to the Harare City Council, the residents complained that their living standards and the values of their properties were being lowered as a result of the activities taking place at the illegal settlement.
They said Avondale Creek is council land and therefore council should monitor what is taking place on its land.
The residents said they were noticing an influx of settlers moving in to the place with young girls from the age of 12 at a grave risk of being abused or lured into social ills.
Residents also complained about noise pollution as the settlers shout at each other until the early hours of the morning.
The residents said the values of their properties were going down because of the illegal settlers and they felt unsafe security wise.
At one time a resident’s house was in danger of being razed down by a fire started by the illegal settlers.
The fire went out of control and the Fire Brigade had to be called in to extinguish the blaze.
Avondale Creek is attractive to the homeless because of easy access to water in the nearby stream while recycling companies were reportedly visiting the illegal settlements to buy recyclable materials such PET bottles from the settlers.
