Botswana March 2006 |
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| Brick association wants squatters out, (Mmegi, 2006-03-09):-An association of brick moulders near the Gaborone Dam has supported the government's move to evict squatters from the area. However, the Gaborone Clay Brick Association hopes the government would spare their business. The secretary of the association, Esther Mosimanegape, says they want to see the area cleared of squatters who are ruining the reputation of brick moulders. She says the area is not suitable to live in as there is danger posed by malaria, snakes and diseases. She says people can be trapped in the area in times of disasters like it nearly happened during the 2000 floods. Mosimanegape started brick moulding in the area in 1993. She says that her association is worried by the rate at which Zimbabwean illegal immigrants are penetrating the area. She says some illegal immigrants have born children at the settlement and this is very dangerous and unhealthy. She says the association has noticed that some criminals come to spend stolen money at the squatter camp. She says the area has become dangerous even to residents because of the many incidences of violence. She says people fight a lot in the location after drinking. "There are lots of shebeens here selling all sorts of hot stuff and people often fight at these shebeens. There are lots of rapes going on here due to shebeens, and they must be stopped," Mosimanegape says. She states that unless the squatter camp is demolished, there will always be the problem of illegal immigrants as they use the area as a hiding place. "As a result of this squatter camp, our property is not secure. They open our store rooms and sleep there, and steal whatever they can find. We believe that all shacks must be brought down so that the illegal immigrants do not have anywhere to stay," she says. Mosimanegape says her association has been at the forefront of fighting for the cause of the brick moulders since it was established in 1997. She says in 2004, the association fought hard to overturn a court order the government got against them. "We took the matter to the High Court and asked the government to discuss the matter with us rather than rush to the courts. "It was something similar to what the government has done lately. We will be meeting as the association on Wednesday to strategise. The government gave us six months to come up with solutions to the problem. We definitely have solutions. We hope they will listen to us and not fight us with court orders. The minister said we should liaise with our councillors within six months to chart the way forward," she says. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |