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Leroy Dzenga and Julia Mugadzaweta Features Writers
The sombre atmosphere that greets one as they get to 85 Baines Avenue in Harare’s Avenues area signals a tense ambience.

There is furniture scattered around the yard, something expected only when a house has been burgled or when people are moving out.

There are a few cars parked, packed with blankets, linen and other wares.

Messy as the yard looks, it is the metaphor of how the relationship between Leonard Cheshire Zimbabwe Trust and the inhabitants has turned over the days.

The fallout has attracted widespread media attention. The evicted group of people living with disabilities has selected Lewis Garaba to be their voice in the fight they feel they are being treated unfairly.

“The sheriff came and evicted us on March 10, the day immediately after the rate of excursion was given.

“Since then we have been camping outside the house,” Garaba said.

They have had to brave the rains and low temperatures which have characterised the few weeks they have been without a roof on their heads.

Garaba says he is more worried about his children.

“The eviction has been stressing me. We have three children and one is less than a month old.

“I am afraid they may get pneumonia or other cold related diseases,” he said.

Contrary to reports that they refused the grant offered to them through the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry, the group says they are worried about the money’s security.

“The permanent secretary came to talk to us with some representatives from Leornard Cheshire Trust. They first offered us a loan of $800 per person. We said we wanted it but cannot accept since we are currently homeless and there is risk of losing it,” Garaba said.

They now cook on a communal fire and have been relying on ablution services at the Avenues Hospital which is a stone throw from where they are camped.

Most of the food they are preparing is being donated by well-wishers.

Responding to claims that they refused temporary shelter offered to them, Garaba cited sustainability concerns.

“The ministry also offered us a temporary place in Ruwa until something permanent was arranged. We could not take this offer because to us, it did not make any sense that we move on a temporary basis without a long term plan,” he said.

Instead of the cold conditions on the pavements of their former residence, they could have been temporarily housed at Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre but they felt otherwise.

“If the Ministry of Social Welfare could find a place in two weeks why did it not do so these past years?”

They refused the offer on the assumption that Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre was not disability-friendly, despite the fact that it currently houses other people living with disabilities.

“What we want from here is a way forward, we want a place which can accommodate our needs and that fully supports us as people living with disabilities,” said Garaba.

The group believes they have the propensity to sustain themselves given a chance.

“Some of us are independent already, we have our own income-generating projects and we can stand on our feet if given the opportunity,” he added.

They say their greatest challenge is finding a place that is friendly to their needs and is able to accommodate them as a community.

“We had safe haven here. It was our home and our challenge now is to find another place which would feel like home,” said Garaba.

Now they are appealing to Government for assistance through houses or land to develop on their own.

“If we have a place for us to settle as a community, we won’t be bothering anyone as we will be able to support ourselves and live our lives in a sustainable way,” he said.

However, there have been questions that if some members of the group can afford cars and have income generating ventures, why haven’t they taken the initiative to find their own shelter?

Since the story broke, opinion has been divided with some blaming Leonard Cheshire Zimbabwe Trust for being insensitive.

But the care organisation has maintained that they are acting on principle.

Greaterman Chivandire, the Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe Trust director said the building was never meant to be a permanent shelter in the first place.

“Masterton House accommodates persons with disabilities to enable them to attend vocational training courses offered by private colleges which are situated in the central business district. They would then move out after completing their courses,” he said.

Indications are, the group had gotten too comfortable with the accommodation.

“Masterton Home and the Westwood Children’s Home were never meant to be permanent homes but transit-preparatory homes for people with disabilities,” Chivandire explained.

The reason behind their fallout in 1999 was indiscipline on the occupants’ part. Since then relations haven’t been the same between Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe Trust and the occupants at Masterton House.

However, there are numerical inconsistencies on the number of occupants, the figures provided by the organisation do not match the people seen by The Herald when they visited the place.

“It should be noted that only 10 residents were in Masterton House. Two who later on accepted support to start their own projects and were successfully rehabilitated remaining with eight,” said Chivandire.

He added: “These eight are quoted in all Court Cases as Respondents and not 17. One of the eight was removed at the High Court as he failed to appear (Togarepi) and the other passed away remaining with six original residents,” he said.

The mismatch is a result of marriages and births that have occurred since the squabbles started in 1999.

Chivandire says some of the tenants are well resourced people who are taking advantage of the free accommodation and facilities.

“It should be borne in mind that the Residents Ring leaders at Masterton are well established persons. One of the residents admitted in the High Court that he was looking for a property to buy in Borrowdale.

One has a house in Sunningdale while others have homes in Highfield and Mabvuku,” he said.

Chivandire refuted allegations that they are using the group as a money making venture.

“Leonard Cheshire is audited annually by Ernst and Young and our audit reports are made available to all stakeholders contrary to claims,” he said.

Allegations were levelled against the group, with Chivandire saying they were engaging in questionable activities at the facility.

“Masterton Home had become a good source of generating easy income for the residents with several Commercial Tenants including Surgery, Church, Internet Cafes, Tuck-shops and other illicit businesses which is well documented,” he said.

Despite the misunderstandings, it is not all love lost between Leonard Cheshire Disability Trust and the evicted residents as Leonard Cheshire United Kingdom offered loans through the Ministry of Public Services, Labour and Social Welfare.

Representatives for people living with disabilities feel Leonard Cheshire Zimbabwe Trust are not being honest in their approach to the matter.

Senator representing people living with disabilities Annah Shiri said her engagements with both parties alerted her to apparent anomalies.

“Although the court made a judgement, which was in favour of the property owners, I was showed evidence that the court may have overlooked in their decision making process,” she said.

There are allegations that the Leonard Cheshire representatives may have acted in a dishonest manner during the trial.

“The evicted have evidence that shows that in the middle of the trial Leonard Cheshire bosses changed the Private Voluntary Organisation number. This raises questions as to why the decided to change it in the middle of the hearings and if the court considered that factor,” Sen Shiri said.

Since the fallout around 1999, Leonard Cheshire is said to have abandoned the group leaving them to fend for themselves.

“Claims that the group was subletting the facility for commercial gains could be true. They told me that they last received assistance in 1998.

“This forced them to make efforts to make ends meet,” said Sen Shiri.

Senator Shiri said the way Leonard Cheshire behaved puts into question the very same virtues they claim to uphold.

“Although Leonard Cheshire own the building and are acting on legal advice, they could have used moral considerations and dealt with the matter that would not expose people living with disabilities in the manner the way they did if they truly want to improve the lives of people living with disabilities,” she said.

There is sentiment that the local Leonard Cheshire executive was using the facility and its occupants as fundraising pawns.

“People from Leonard Cheshire should avail papers showing when they last assisted people living at the facility because my engagements on the ground showed that they haven’t helped since 1998,” Sen Shiri added.

Negotiations are still going on between the parties involved to find a workable lasting solution.

“The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare offered the group temporary accommodation at the Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre but this place is only available for a month and does not have facilities conducive for people living with disabilities,” she said.

Senator Shiri says she has courted well-wishers to intervene and hopes the leads she is following will bring relief to her constituents.

The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare says despite their efforts to provide temporary shelter having been met with resistance, they are continuing to engage in dialogue.

In a telephone interview, Minister Prisca Mupfumira said their attempts to help have been met with hostility.

“It is not true that the group is stranded, we offered them Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre and bought food for two months but they refused,” she said.

Minister Mupfumira said they sent two cars to ferry the group and their belongings but they returned empty.

Financial loans offered to the group were also not accepted.

“The ministry facilitated an $800 loan for them but they have not given a clear answer on whether they want to accept it or not,” said Minister Mupfumira.

According to the Minister they will continue to try and reach common ground with the group.

Whether the evicted residents will find a permanent place to stay remains to be seen. As things stand accounts from involved parties suggest that they are trying to play victim in a case of alleged complacency and dishonesty.