Mbundane: The face of urban poverty

NINE years after it was founded, Mbundane suburb in Bulawayo's Upper Rangemore area continues to grow rapidly despite the fact that the area has been a big head-ache for the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and Umguza Rural District Council (URDC) whose conflict has been a major stumbling block to the development of the high density suburb located 13 km South-West of the city centre.

Strikingly, the setbacks that befell the area when Mehluli Khumalo the land developer contracted to develop the area via his Habek Enterprises company clashed with BCC for unilaterally connecting water to the suburb has not been a scarecrow to home seekers who continue to build stands in the area without reticulation facilities, electricity and a proper road network.

A visit to the area- which although in the Bulawayo master plan, administratively falls under Umguza local authority, indicates that residents – most of them w whose breadwinners work in neighboring South Africa, use solar panels and diesel/petrol generators to generate power while each block of houses, at the behest of the Environmental Management Agency possesses a communal toilet.

Yet the dwellers have been used to the "Arcadian life". Said one resident who identified herself as MaNkomo:

"When I first came here I had hope of living a typical city life but that has not been the case for the past 7 years," she said. "I am now used to this life. Whether we get proper facilities just like other suburbs or we don't it's just the same to me because I have adapted to this life."

A single borehole drilled in 2006, residents said, broke down last year due to congestion and another one drilled recently had restrictions as it was only accessible to members of an unnamed non-governmental organisation which drilled it forcing non-members to buy water for 2 rands for a 25-litre bucket from near-by suburbs such as Nkulumane and Emganwini.

"The borehole which was used by all residents here broke down last year and was never repaired," said a local woman in her middle thirties clutching a baby on her back while pushing a wheelbarrow.

"We buy water for 2 rands per 25 litre bucket from Emganwini and 6 buckets last for three-five days for a family of four," she added.

Bulawayo 24 also hooked up with the area's residents leader David Luphahla who has been vocal about the Mbundane people's rights since 2006 when the project began.

"We have been advocating for the development of this area in the past nine years and nothing has materialized as you can see that people now live normally," he said.

"I believe that there is need for the parties involved – BCC, URDC and Habek Enterprises to come up in the open and resolve this issue," advised Luphahla.

But URDC chief executive officer Collen Moyo insists his local authority is "clean" shifting the blame to the land developer and BCC.

Moyo even pulled a shocker claiming: "The Township is illegal." According to Moyo, the Mbundane setbacks are a result of Khumalo whom he accused of flouting municipal procedures.  
Bulawayo's Upper Rangemore area was illegally settled by the land developer, Mehluli Khumalo Land Developers, against the municipal's procedures.

"The council advised him (Khumalo) not to allocate stands before the area gets water connected, but he went against our advice. Residents were not supposed to stay in that area before servicing of the stands. Their suffering is as a result of the land developer," said Moyo.

Moyo conceded that the conflict between URDC and BCC was also a stumbling block but declined to divulge what exactly was outstanding between the councils.

However, Moyo seemed skeptical of the relationship between Habek Enterprises and BCC saying "the land developer continued pestering the RDC to accede to "voluntary incorporation" of Mbundane into Bulawayo for it to be administered by BCC."

Although Mbundane falls within Bulawayo city master plan approved the Local government ministry, current BCC mayor Martin Moyo declined responsibility of the "controversial" township saying the city fathers will only initiate talks if the land developer completes the servicing of stands in the settlement.

Khumalo, who is the director of Habek Enterprises, could not be drawn into commenting on the issue as he was said to be "out of office" by his secretary while questions sent to him via email had not been responded to at the time of publication.

This is the sad tale of Mbundane - a township which has become the face of urban poverty. The old adage that "when two big elephants fight it is the grass which suffers" aptly summarizes the ordeal of the inhabitants of Mbundane high density suburb.