Blind beggars arrested for refusing to leave border post

By Tererai Karimakwenda
20 September 2005

The fate of hundreds of blind beggars who are resisting eviction from the Beitbridge Border Post remains unknown after they were arrested and taken to the local office of social welfare. The government offered them free transport and Z$60,000 to leave the town last week and return to their original home areas, after officials declared them an embarrassing public nuisance around the busy border post. But when they refused they were arrested and no information has been released since.

Two weeks ago, the government deployed a police riot control squad to clear the general border area of beggars who are flocking there from all over the country, some from as far as the capital Harare. Most of them are blind or disabled. Witnesses say they were marched off to the local offices of the Department of Social Welfare where they were to be issued with free government travel warrants back to their areas of origin.

Our contacts report that the beggars refused to take the free travel warrants and the government offer of Z$60 000 per person for relocation. They claimed they were earning much more from begging around the border gate, where travelers give them money in foreign currency.

The beggars returned to the border post where they blocked the flow of traffic for hours on end as they demonstrated against removal. They were then re-arrested for causing public disorder and returned to the district social welfare office where they again refused to take up the government offer of relocation and the meagre payout. The money is apparently the standard monthly support welfare recipients get in Zimbabwe.

No information has been released since but it is believed that senior police and social welfare officers are still failing to find a reasonable solution. What is not known is whether the beggars have been shipped out of the town secretly or whether they are still at the social welfare office under arrest.