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Loveness Bepete Chronicle Reporter.
POLICE raided Killarney squatter camp on Thursday evening and arrested about 40 settlers in an operation aimed at stemming rising criminal activities in the area. More than 20 police officers on horseback patrolled the area as detectives searched for suspects who were taken to Bulawayo Central police station.

By yesterday afternoon, only 14 were said to be still detained.

The suspects were accused of stealing from the nearby Killarney suburb.

When Chronicle visited the squatter camp yesterday, residents said there have been increasing criminal activities at the camp where a child was said to have been raped last week.

Simangele Moyo said the police were indiscriminate when they arrested them and she alleged that she was forced to leave her one-year-old son alone for the night.

“I had to leave my one-year-old son alone and to make matters worse he had not eaten anything when we were taken by the police,” she said.

Sibongile Nxumalo said she was also forced to leave behind an 18-month-old baby alone.

Residents said police had warned them that they would continue raiding them.

Five residents on anti-retroviral drugs said they had to default their medication as they had not taken the drugs to the police station.

Prudence Nsatho, a pregnant woman, said the arresting officers questioned her about her pregnancy.

“How can they insult us about being pregnant, does being a squatter mean one doesn’t have the right to give birth, they said to me ‘munongoswerera kuzvara, makagarireyi pano?’ (You are good only good at giving birth? Why are you living here?),” said Nsatho.

Bulawayo police Provincial Spokesperson lnspector Mandlenkosi Moyo could not be reached for comment.