o The median number of people per demolished room was 2 There has been much debate about the number of people displaced by the demolitions, with the government arguing that the UN report has overestimated the numbers displaced by using the findings from the Zimbabwe 2002 census, of 4,2 people per household. The findings of this survey of two Bulawayo suburbs would suggest that the UN figure of approximately 550,000 displaced is conservative – that a figure of closer to 5 people per property may have been displaced by the demolitions, in Bulawayo at least. Relationship of occupants: prior to the demolitions • • • 105 family units were identified as occupying one or more backyard rooms on the same property.94 o 66 of these units had children under the age of 16: av = 2 per unit 10 units of “individuals sharing” one room were identified. 28 rooms had individuals living alone, not related to anyone else on the property. TOTAL: 143 units / individual combinations on 89 properties Where are they now – after the demolitions? • • • • • • • • 54 units or individuals still live on the same residential stand, having simply moved into the main house. 54 units or individuals remain intact in Bulawayo-urban, at a new address 2 individuals moved to another urban centre in Matabeleland 1 family unit split up and went to two different Bulawayo urban addresses 13 family units split up but left at least one family member on the same residential stand: o In 5 of these units, the rest of the family moved to another Bulawayo address o In 3 of these units, one family member now commutes from either South Africa or Botswana o In 5 of these units, the breadwinner remained in town and the rest of the family went back to a rural district. 1 family split up and went partly to Botswana and partly to the rural areas 3 family units moved intact to the rural areas There is insufficient information on 15 units or individuals Who went to rural areas? Out of 143 family/individual constellations only 3 are known to have gone intact to a rural area: => 2% In a further 6 family units, part of the family returned to a rural area: in 5 cases the breadwinner remained in town and in 1 case, went to Botswana to look for work: => in 4% of known cases, part of a family returned to a rural area 94 A “family unit” is any combination of related people sharing one or more rooms on one property; this could mean parents and children, or uncles/aunts/grandparents with/without dependants. 41