Tichaona Sibanda
6th July 2005

Government has failed to find alternative accommodation for the tens of thousands of people who are still homeless after the clean up operation in Bulawayo.

Despite this, police in the city continued on Wednesday to demolish houses in Luveve, Gwabalanda and Lobengula. Churches in the city are now overstretched with the number of people seeking refuge.

Zimbabwe Standard journalist Savious Kwinika told us from Bulawayo that churches are now struggling to feed thousands of people because government has not been helping with anything at all.

He said: 'The UN envoy is expected in the city late in the afternoon, but this has not deterred the police from continuing with the demolitions.'

Instead government has been busy trying to remove people from the streets to holding camps, away from the prying eyes of the world.

A vetting exercise, for people needing new stands in the Western suburbs, had to be called off when word got around that the UN envoy was due to visit the city.

Kwinika said more than 5000 homeless people turned and that government officials called off the exercise, fearing a visit by the UN envoy. Meanwhile in Norton, police moved into the Knowe Phase 3 area near Bulawayo road and demolished several houses. It is also reported that they are revisiting certain areas and making sure all structures destroyed have not been rebuilt.