Touts block road, shut out family from home

A FAMILY from Fourwinds suburb in Bulawayo has been "blocked'' from its own house by touts who have camped at the gate of their house, which they are using as an undesignated pick- up point for transporters plying the Bulawayo-Kezi route.

A family member, Dr Hazel Siringwane said the gate to their house has been blocked and that was a cause for concern especially to their mother who is now in her 80s. The touts allegedly make noise, use abusive language, drink beer in the open and even urinate near the house, turning the place into an eyesore.

"My mother is in her 80s, she is being disturbed by the noise these touts make, there are many other elderly people in this area who deserve some peace but they cannot enjoy it because these touts are here as early as 5am making noise and they leave late," she said.

The biggest change, she noted, was the blocking of the gate.

"We have two entrances of which they have taken over one of them and they spend the day sitting there, they smoke and drink alcohol there. They also leave the place littered with empty beer bottles and cigarette packets and some even throw litter over the pre-cast wall," she said.

Dr Siringwane said the touts were also using foul language even to children in the neighbourhood. Another concerned resident Mr Arnold Mahonye said there have been many accidents where the touts are operating from.

"I have witnessed accidents at that corner and I was also once involved in one, because the touts block the road and one is forced to encroach onto the right lane to avoid them," he said.

Mr Mahonye said the residents have tried to engage the touts and police but nothing has been done.

"I reported to the police at one time and the touts told me I was wasting my time as police officers at Hillside Police Station were their friends and nothing was going to be done to them. We have lost hope because of these touts. If they can brag that the police will not deal with the issue then who do we report to?" he said.

Mr Demetrio Polimeni a businessman who operates near the area said he is losing business because people now fear the touts.

"We operate an accommodation business but for the past three years we have not been operating because people avoid us because of the touts who are ever here. They make noise and are drunk many times, they also come and urinate and defecate along the pre-cast wall so people do not want that," he said.