Situation two
Resettlement area: Matabeleland North
Five families:
17 people in 2005
Seven families:
25 people in 2006
Originally from Killarney informal settlement
Interviews: March, April, May, June, July 2010
2005/6
All of these families are foreign nationals, descended from Malawian or Zambian parents, but
themselves born in Zimbabwe. They had never lived in a rural area before, but were forcibly
dumped in this resettlement area in July 2005, after being abducted from churches by the
police. They were allocated plots by the local community leader, but found themselves in the
middle of a difficult land dispute, where the plots they were allocated had been already
allocated to others.
By June 2006, the population had expanded to 25 people, making up 7 family units rather
than five, as several married, and several more children had been born. Out of the seven
families dumped here, only one remained in the resettlement area, and six had returned
to Bulawayo. One family was in Mahatshula suburb of Bulawayo, the others were in Killarney,
where they were living before the demolitions.
Follow up 2010
In 2010, the one family that had remained in this Gwayi resettlement area in 2006, had moved
from the rural homestead into Tsholotsho business centre, where he was working moulding
bricks for a local businessman. In Killarney he had worked as a builder, and he was trying to
return to this profession.
He was no longer living as a rural farmer and said that he had found conditions in the
resettlement area impossible. He says that the families from Killarney were never accepted,
and were ostracised by the locals, who called them ‘imikutulwa’ meaning those who have been
offloaded. He stated that those from Killarney were not allowed to benefit from schemes to
give cattle to local people; he had been banned from joining local committees and his wife had
been banned from training as a health professional, simply because they were considered to
be dumped people. They acquired two goats and the neighbours set their dogs on the goats,
breaking the leg of one of them. Their field had been taken away from them, and they said
they lived in fear of being killed some time. Their 21 year old son has gone to Johannesburg.
They are both ill, as is a baby daughter. The baby is on ARVs although neither parent is. The
three youngest children cannot get birth certificates as the mother lost her identity card
during OM. The family is unable to pay school fees for the 3 children at primary school. The
children are supposed to pay R11 per term per child, which they cannot afford. The husband
has a rash all over the body but has failed to get it treated due to lack of money.
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