The Hopley settlement was established by the government in 2005 to accommodate some of the 700, 000 people who were displaced in the clean up operation.
Thousands of homemade bricks were destroyed as the battle between Harare Municipality and Hopley residents peaked. The low-income residents had set up brick-moulding projects as a means of generating income.
The bulldozers also filled up a well the residents used to collect water for brick-moulding. Residents depended on the water body for day-to-day use, since Hopley is not serviced and suffers critical water shortages.
“They have destroyed our bricks and also closed a well that was an important source of water for residents in this area. This is not fair,” said an irate resident.
There was a commotion as residents rushed to rescue their bricks from potential destruction. The Zimbabwean witnessed a bulldozer leveling the area and destroying the homemade bricks in an area council says is reserved as a burial site.
“This whole area you see here is reserved for burial, as you can see for yourself. These huge open pits that they have dug here make it difficult to dig graves,” said a council official. “The residents have been warned on several occasions.”
The area now resembles an open cast mine.
Post published in: News