HARARE - Piles of garbage spread almost into the horizon at the Chitungwiza Dump Site opposite the towns stagnant industrial site. Alias Chazuka is a daily feature at the site; it has been his home and livelihood for six years. Scouring undeterred by the pong in the hope of finding anything worth salvaging in the mass of worthless rubbish, Chakuza, who is liviSometimes we get copper wire which we then sell to people who come here however these days we are not much successful, said the 59-year-old whose wife died in 2004.
Refuse in the densely populated town has gone for months without being collected. The trucks are grounded and so for those who wait for garbage at the site, it has became a long wait. It is now five years since Chazuka has been living at the dumpsite. Friends and relatives encouraged him to get medical attention at Chitungwiza Hospital Infectious Illnesses Unit.
I get ARVs from Chitungwiza Hospital but sometimes I do not take the pills because I would not have eaten anything, and taking the pills without food makes me even more ill, he said.
To feed their ailing dad, his two adult sons crush stones.
My sons are very helpful but there are not employed, but it has been very long since they had any customers, he said. With the stagnant construction industry many like Chazukas sons find themselves with heaps of crushed stones but no buyers.
Hidden in the garbage, Chazuka is aware that the International Red Cross gives food to people affected by HIV/AIDS but is not sure how he can get his name on the beneficiary list. I have tried on several occasions to get help but to no avail, the Social Welfare used to give us Z$50 almost two years ago, now its all gone.
Post published in: Analysis