#ZIMBA
Poverty
from the
ordinary
man’s eyes
“Government also notes with
grave concern that some
sections of our youths are
under siege from the scourge
of drug and substance abuse.”
President Emmerson
Mnangagwa.
October 2021
Pic: NewsDay
A lone star shines in the partially
cloudy sky as darkness fell to
mark the end of yet another day
at Gazaland, Highfields.
Gazaland is a scrappy home
industry located west of Harare
city centre.
From an aerial view Gazaland is
one dark patch scattered with
metal, scrap and old colonial era
buildings, all huddled together
into an ever-busy, loud, dusty and
muddy home industry – complete
with beerhalls, general dealer and
motor spare parts shops, and
garages.
Here, all forms of trade happen –
from metal craftsmanship, auto
mechanics, carpentry, carbreaking, scrap metal dealership,
upholstery, coach-building,
outdoor catering to sex work.
Gazaland draws hundreds of its
workers and clients from across
Harare and beyond, making it the
biggest competitor to Magaba
home industry in Mbare.
Truckloads of scrap metal, some
headed for South Africa, drive out
of Gazaland each day and some
of the biggest wholesalers of
window frames, door frames,
scotch-carts and aluminum pots
buy from Gazaland.
A little economic zone of its own,
Gazaland has vendors selling
chilled borehole water in reused
PET bottles for as little as
ZWL$10.00 and meals for
$US0.50.
Throughout the day, people
selling clothes and shoes - new
and used - snacks, and anything,
pass through Gazaland to try
their luck. Like every other place
in Zimbabwe, Gazaland is home
to young people who have taken
up substance abuse and sex work
in the face of an unforgivingly
toughening economy.
For many in that spot, tomorrow
is not obvious and death is a
certainty and living through to
the next day is luck.
The story of Gazaland is a
reminder of the reality of the
Zimbabwean society, where
government has neglected its
responsibility, leaving
communities to be on their own..
We take a look at some of the
forms of neglect: