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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
POLICE in Plumtree have given squatters settled in mining areas in Mphoengs under Mangwe District an ultimatum to have relocated by tomorrow or face eviction. The squatters said police recently held a meeting with them and told them to leave. A police source from Plumtree said illegal activities were taking place in the area occupied by squatters.
The source said illegal settlers were operating brothels, bars and other illegal businesses from the shacks. “There is a lot of prostitution at the mining areas and a lot of criminal activities taking place there. Squatters have opened shebeens and eating places there and mine workers flock to the place in order to get services.
“These squatters become busy at night and there are a lot of assault and stock theft cases which are recorded in that area. The environment which these squatters are operating from is unhealthy as they don’t have sanitation facilities,” said the police source. He said the squatters had been advised that they had to relocate to legal selling points.
The source said some squatters were reluctant to leave as they had indicated that they were recording good business. Comment could not be obtained from Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nkosilathi Sibanda on the matter as he was said to be out of office.
The councillor for Mphoengs area, Norman Tshuma, said villagers living close to the mining areas were losing their goats on a daily basis to the squatters. He said the illegal settlers were stealing the goats and selling them in butcheries which they had opened in the shacks.
“The squatters have also opened butcheries and they have been carrying out these activities for a long time now. They steal goats from homesteads and then sell the meat to mine workers. This is the meat which they use to prepare dishes that they sell to miners from their food outlets which they operate from the shacks,” said Tshuma.
He said the squatters had settled at a compound which was previously owned by a miner who had relocated. Chief Sangulube, whose jurisdiction covers the area, confirmed the squatters’ eviction. He said there was a need for the squatters to be relocated to proper structures and a growth point established near the mining areas.
“I received a report that the squatters have been given a grace period by the police to bring their operations to a halt. It could help if they’re moved to a gazetted area where they can carry out legal activities,” said Chief Sangulube. Mangwe Rural District Council chief executive officer Nketha Mangoye Dlamini said he was aware of the efforts by the police to evict the squatters.
“The officer in charge Mphoengs area informed me police are evicting the squatters. This will help to bring order and sanity to the mining areas as we’re also in the process of compiling a database for all miners operating in the district,” said Dlamini.
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