KEY INFORMANT TWO
ZK: aged 41
Married, with 6 children.
Interviewed in De Doorns, Western Cape
1 June 2010
1.
Chitungwiza, May 2005
In May 2005, I was living in Chitungwiza Seke Unit O. I had a mini market there, and was
selling window and door frames there. Then the digger‐loader came to Siyaso market and
demolished everything. The police were there, and they destroyed the whole complex. We
were not allowed to collect our wares, and had to run for our lives – I lost everything, and no
longer had a place of work.
2.
Seke Communal lands, June 2005 November 2006
My two roomed lodging was next to be destroyed – I was a tenant there – so now work was
destroyed, and lodgings were destroyed. I had no option but to return to Seke Communal
lands with my family. But I found I could not make a living, I had no source of income and
those of my children who had been in school, were no longer in school. In Zimbabwe at that
time there was no rule of law. We people at the grass roots could not sustain life any more.
Life in Seke was tough, I had to try to grow vegetables and maize and I had no plough and no
cows to plough. This was my first time to be a communal farmer, but I had to try and grow
food for my children. I grew some samp and sold it for R150, so that I could board a bus to
Beitbridge.
3.
Border area, Limpopo: November 2006 – January 2007
I stayed in Seke Communal for one year, 2006. Then in November 2006 I went to Beitbridge.
The (Limpopo) river was waist high and we had to cross. Around 40 of us crossed together,
and we had to pay someone to guide us over the border. It was difficult to find work. I got
work on a farm for R40 a week, and was trying to save money to go to Johannesburg. I had to
work for more than a month to save the R100 transport to Joburg. I hiked part of the way, and
paid for lifts here and there because it was cheaper than the bus.
4.
Park Station, Johannesburg: January February 2007
I arrived at Park Station in central Joburg. It was not right, sleeping with no blankets, nothing
– and eating left over food from the dustbins on the station. I stayed a whole month there.
There were around 300‐400 Zimbabweans sleeping every night at Park Station. The big
problem is that we didn’t have passports and the police wanted IDs or passports. I had no
papers, I was illegal. We would go into the industries and try to get piece‐work and would be
paid only R40 a day because we were Zimbabweans.
5.
Barberton Police Station and Lindela Deportation Centre: March 2007
I was arrested for having no papers and was held in Barberton Police station for 2 weeks,
before being sent to Lindela. Eventually I was put on a deportation train, but I managed to
bribe the cops on the train, to let me go at Germiston. So I jumped off the train at Germiston –
this cost me R400. I went back to Park Station.
6.
Finetown squatter camp: April 2007
I moved to a squatter camp near Grassmere called Finetown. From there I worked in
neighbouring farms for around 9 months. I sent for my wife and she came and brought the
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