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Ward 18 troublesome illegal settlements identified

28 May, 2021 - 00:05 0 Views
Ward 18 troublesome  illegal settlements identified The tuckshops which service the residents of the illegal settlement

Suburban

Some desperate workers in Harare have resorted to putting up at illegal settlements in the northern suburbs to be closer to their places of employment and save on transport money needed to commute daily from the high density suburbs.  

Suburban Reporter 

A Ward 18 service delivery meeting recently heard that the were six such problematic illegal settlements that have been identified namely the four at the Umwinsidale turn off, the Borrowdale Race Course and the vlei near the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.

The meeting was told that some of the settlements could not be easily done away with until alternatives have been found for the settlers and alternative employment.

Residents and charitable organisations were said to be partly to blame for the growth of the illegal settlements because they were assisting settlers, leading to more people relocating to these places in search of help with food and other provisions. 

Harare North Member of the National Assembly Mr Allan Markham told residents at the meeting held in Borrowdale Brooke that chasing vendors and illegal settlers was not a viable solution as long no reasonable alternatives were offered. 

“At the Umwinsi turn off, there are three to four, the one on the right is basically a beerhall and brothel. The others are a little better. Most people living on the vlei on ZBC work in the Borrowdale area. They come on a Monday and go back to Chitungwiza or Epworth on a Friday to save on transport money. That is how desperate people have gone. 

“I am anti moving anyone as long they behave until such a time we can offer them a reasonable alternative or reasonable employment,” said Mr Markham.

He said while efforts should be made to assist the settlers, there were problems such as crime emanating from these illegal settlements which worry the residents of Ward 18.

“We have thievery issues starting in Umwinsidale. At the (Borrowdale) Race Course, we have managed to hold that steady and the idea is to get involved and I am totally anti people feeding illegal settlers because they just grow. I have no problem with a programme that has been done at ZBC (vlei settlement) where twice a week we feed everyone under the age of five. I don’t have a problem with that but I do have a problem with people who have the best intention in the world to feed illegal settlements. I would rather we feed the disabled or the people that are aged.”

Mr Markham appealed to charitable organisations, residents and well-wishers carrying out philanthropic work in these settlements to verify beneficiaries of their aid because in some instances the donors were ending up feeding the same people who move from settlement to settlement.

 “People working in Pomona get assisted tremendously by a lot of people here (with) bread, milk, clear water gets trucked in etc. and this is about 200 to 700 people. Those normally live in Hatcliffe Extension. During COVID, they were all given one food pack, 4 800 households by the Muslim Association. They were given a second one six months later but some of those people are working at Pomona are also getting fed there. Then a Christian organisation came into Hatcliffe and went into Extension and gave everyone a food pack as well. The Consortium (another Hatcliffe area) got nothing and the main area we call KuOne (Hatcliffe 1) got nothing. My issue is avoid double dipping in everything you do,” said the legislator.

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