The Sunday News
THE sense of community, belonging and humane living are highly cherished values of traditional African life, particularly in Zimbabwe. This sense of togetherness, reflects the norms and values of Zimbabwean culture and Africa as a whole, and remains critical in spite of the apparent disarray brought about by modern politics and brutal internal wars instigated by Western countries to destabilise the continent.
It is believed that in Zimbabwe, a community is much more than simply a social grouping of people bound together by reasons of natural origin or deep common interests and values.
It is through these values that Zimbabweans have been deemed peaceful, united and considerate, despite the economic challenges that bedevilled the country since the turn of the millennium.
However, the recent evictions in Torwood compound in Redcliff Town left a lot to be desired.
The local community was shocked by the municipality’s insincerity when it evicted an 84-year-old woman and the pictures of her strewn belongs outside her house went viral.
The evictions were allegedly at the behest of Redcliff Mayor, Councillor Fred Kapuya.
The question that many citizens were left asking themselves was: have we become ruthless, cold-hearted and selfish all for the love of money, where gold is now worth more than an impoverished life?
A direct translation of a Shona idiom — an impoverished man is a human being, you cannot bury him alive — was defied by Redcliff Municipality when it evicted 300 people about two weeks ago, forcing them to live in open air and makeshift houses with their school-going children.
More than 300 people are still to be evicted.
Sunday News drove to Redcliff to see Mrs Utupa Imani, the 84-year-old woman, who was evicted by the municipality and dragged to court for non-payment of rentals that had accumulated to close to $600.
Mrs Imani came to Redcliff from Malawi way before independence and does not recall the year she started staying in Torwood after getting married to her late husband who is an ex-employee of Ziscosteel now NewZim Steel.
She narrated her touching tale.
“I came here a long time ago and started staying in this house when I got married to my husband. I do not remember the year I came here. I had three children, the first one passed away, the second one is bedridden and the last one is jobless.
“I am not employed and looking after my three grandchildren. I live on handouts and I am just waiting for my husband’s pension since I am no longer economically active. I owe council more than $500 and I am not able to pay,” she said.
Mrs Imani said she was thrown out two weeks ago and stayed in open air with her sick son for two days.
“I was evicted on Wednesday last week and I slept outside for two days before they brought a letter from the District Administrator instructing council to let me stay in the house. I am supposed to go to court over the matter most probably next week.
“If I am evicted, I have nowhere to go because I do not have relatives in this country. I am an elderly woman and no longer economically active,” she said.
Another resident, Mr Constantine Khumbukilayi, who is also living in open air with his family after being evicted, said most people in Redcliff were jobless as three big companies that were the town’s lifeline had either closed down of downscaled production.
“Zisco closed down, Steelmakers recently retrenched workers and Parkster scaled down production. This has adversely affected the livelihoods of the people in Torwood,” he said.
Another evicted resident, Ms Febbie Dube, said there was poor service delivery in Torwood hence people were reluctant to pay rentals and rates.
“Sewage is overflowing and there is no water. We rely on boreholes that were deemed unsafe and are supposed to be decommissioned. The houses are not maintained,” she said.
Clr Fred Kapuya accused MDC-T councillors of politicising the evictions, adding that they were encouraging residents to default payment.
“Rent for those houses is $12 per unit per month. With rates and water included an individual on average pays $25. So if one’s debt accumulates to $900 it means that that person has defaulted for the past three years and is not committed to settle his debt. We are not cruel at all but people have to understand that the 800 houses are the council’s only source of revenue.
“The whole issue has been blown out of proportion by MDC-T councillors who themselves are reluctant to pay rentals despite the fact that they get monthly allowances.
“They are encouraging residents to default payment and manoeuvre their western imperialist machinations and regime change agenda,” said Clr Kapuya.
Government rekindled hope for the revival of what was once the biggest integrated steelworks in Africa when it sold 54 percent of its shares in Zisco to Essar in a $750 million deal which included taking over Zisco’s debts and liabilities.
Ziscosteel had ceased operations in 2008 as it choked under a $340 million debt and other viability problems and Essar Holdings came to its rescue. The Essar deal is expected to bring back life to Redcliff while at the same time uplifting the wellbeing of over 3 500 workers. Under the deal Essar Holdings were to invest over $4 billion over the next four years at NewZim Steel, including setting up a 600MW thermal power plant to support the steelworks.
The Government-Essar deal had brought light to ailing industries in the Midlands Province which have since downscaled production due to liquidity challenges.
