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Yoliswa Dube Features Reporter
ARAMSHACKLE shack, a couple of pots and pans and a few worn out blankets is all that Bongani Moyo inherited from his father when he died a couple of years ago.He inherited a life of homelessness and a whole lot of problems that come with it.

At 24, Bongani does not envision a better life for himself because his father failed, after close to 10 years of trying. He went to the grave an unhappy man.

Bongani and his family have for years called the Killarney squatter camp on the outskirts of Bulawayo home.

Orphaned at a young age, Bongani lives with two of his siblings, Vuyo, 22 and Maqhawe, 18.

A decade on, the Moyo siblings are some of the many urban squatters in the country living miserable lives, believing government has forgotten about them and never looking forward to a better life.

“My siblings are all I have and I don’t know if we’ll ever have a better place to live. Neither of us is employed and we survive by mending shoes in Killarney. Our mother died when we were all young but our father tried hard to make sure we had something to eat every day,” said Bongani.

He said whenever they are desperate they  ask other squatters for help.

“We do have relatives but no one can really afford taking in three young adults. Times are tough for everyone. We just need to man up and we’ll survive. But we need a plan that will guarantee us a home. I certainly don’t want my children to inherit this kind of life,” said Bongani.

In 2005, the government launched a countrywide house demolition campaign to clear unplanned settlements. Many were left homeless.

In Bulawayo, Makokoba, Njube, Mpopoma and Hyde Park suburbs were the worst affected.

The government launched a new low-cost housing programme, Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle which accommodated a good number of those who had been rendered homeless.

“We were young when we came here but now we understand that the way we’re living is wrong. We thought the plan was that we would be given alternative accommodation. Now that we’re older, we worry that this may never happen. Life would be so much better if we could get decent accommodation,” he said.

Just over 500 Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle housing units were built in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb.

Some squatters were relocated to Robert Sinyoka at the outskirts of the city after the International Organisation for Migration and Unicef built them houses. But not everyone benefited from these initiatives. Many remain homeless and have for years relied on plastics, sticks and mud for accommodation.

“We’re destitute and are treated like we’re not human. For years we’ve waited for housing assistance but nothing has come our way. Somebody somewhere is not doing their job as they should,” said Jane Ncube, a mother of four.

Ncube said the squatter camp was no place to raise children adding she would leave at the first opportunity. Her husband, she said, is employed as a security guard at a supermarket.

There are over 1,2 million people on the government national housing waiting list.

In the 2014 national budget, there was no allocation of funds to the housing sector by government and this has raised fears of derailment of the National Housing Policy.

The National Housing Policy document  is a reference point which guides and harmonises the housing delivery sector.

According to the policy document, government will facilitate savings by financial institutions involved in housing delivery, foster exploration of sustainable and broad-based avenues for formal housing finance to complement mortgages and housing micro finance.

The policy would facilitate an audit of all urban land assets and estimate demand in line with urban growth trends and will consolidate policy improvements like parallel and incremental development. It also empowers housing institutions to approach international development institutions involved in housing finance for recapitalisation.

“We’re treated like trash and police think because we’re squatters we’re criminals! We’re decent people who have just suffered some misfortunes in life. I have a job but where I work people don’t know that I’m a squatter,” said Simon Gutu.

He said the responsible authorities should not relax while ignoring their plight.

“For years we’ve waited and we’re tired of waiting. We continue living here to put pressure on those responsible to allocate us housing,” said Gutu.

The squatters live in unfavourable and unhygienic conditions, giving rise to the spread of disease.

Some believe urban squatter camps are a result of evading rentals and other accommodation expenses while others believe squatters merely want free accommodation offered to them, a feat that  neither the government nor local authorities can afford.

The urban squatter problem is not limited to Killarney; there are many more in Ngozi Mine and other areas.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said squatters are those people who have nowhere else to put up.

“We’re a humane council and have over the years tolerated squatters. If you go to Mazwi (village on the outskirts of Pumula suburb) you’ll find some 200 squatters that were resettled there. We always try to help wherever we can. If there is something we can do, we do it,” said Clr Moyo.

He said squatting is a problem and often those who resorted to being squatters could not afford rentals neither could they afford to buy their own houses.

“Squatting is a problem and it’s done by those who can’t afford buying their own houses or pay rentals. We have a housing list but this is for people that have money and can afford to build. They have no money otherwise they would be living in rented accommodation, that’s why they’re squatting,” said Clr Moyo.

He said the Mazwi project had been as a result of goodwill.

“This takes people with good hearts to achieve because it’s done for free. Council donated the land but when next are we going to get a donor that would be willing to build houses for free? We can’t afford to give free housing as a council, people have to pay. We can only hope donors are able to accommodate a few other squatters,” said Clr Moyo.

He said the problem lay in those that believe when others get free housing, they too would also get free housing and resort to squatting until they do.

“Some people squat because they think because others got free housing, they would also get free accommodation but that’s not how we solve problems.”