Gaborone is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. This has led to major rural-to-urban migration, as well as to an influx of foreigners, all coming here in search of jobs and a better life.
For those lucky enough to find work, accommodation becomes a major setback, and thousands end up renting backrooms. Yard owners have taken advantage of the situation by building many single rooms and charging exorbitant rentals without remitting withholding tax.
To keep costs low, whole families or groups friends share these single rooms, which act as a bedroom, dining room, kitchen, lounge and bathroom.
Most of these rooms are crowded in one yard and lack basic amenities like electricity, running water and sewerage, posing major health risks to the occupants. At one of such yards visited by this reporter, the situation is so bad that one is met by a putrid stench of human waste and dirty water even before one enters the yard.
As I enter the yard, a naked boy leaning against an unplastered, unpainted wall of what used to be a tuck-shop, but has been “revamped” into a room with no windows, stares.
In spite of it being electrified, this yard has no sewerage and tenants throw soiled bath water anywhere, leaving little space for one to move around. The pit latrine is almost over flowing, prompting tenants to relieve themselves behind the toilet. Water is collected from a single standpipe inside the yard.
According to one of the tenants, there are more than 20 rooms in this yard. Rental is P500.00 per month, with all the rooms fully occupied.
Quizzed on why they live under such inhumane conditions, the young man, a working professional who declined to reveal his name, said as much as he cannot stand it, he has no other choice. He said he moved here recently after his previous landlord, who also rents out multiple rooms in his backyard, increased the rent.
He blames The Botswana Housing Corporation, which he says has been mandated to provide accommodation to the nation but does not cater for the middle and low-income classes.
“As much as I cannot stand the conditions under which we are living here, there is nothing I can do,” he said.
“Before coming here, I lived all over this city. It’s no use complaining to the landlord because they know we are desperate as accommodation is scarce; they will simply tell you to move out if you have a problem with living in their yard.
“I moved houses four times last year and I am still to find a decent place to stay at a reasonable price. All my furniture is broken from all this moving.”
He says the only times he sees his landlord, who does not live in this yard, is when she comes to collect her rent monies.
Apart from this being a major health risk, it is also a matter that concerns the law enforcers. Gaborone West Police Station Commander, Bonnie Bareki says his office constantly receive reports of theft from people living in such type of yards.
“What is most common is theft where there is no physical break in,” says Bareki.
He says because the rooms are many, sometimes key numbers correspond, making it even easier for tenants to enter and steal from a neighbour. Some visit their neighbours just to check out the key number and then go and buy an identical key. Since it is easy for them to monitor each other’s movements, once an unsuspecting neighbour is way, they then enter and steal valuables.
According to Mabitso Setshabelo, an environmental officer at the Gaborone City Council, multi-residency is totally discouraged. He says the Department of Buildings Control regulates situations like these.
“We have seen people living under these types of environments ÔÇô over spilling toilets, people relieving themselves and throwing garbage, even sanitary pads, anywhere in the yard.”
He says efforts to trace the landlords often prove futile because sometimes they live out of town, “and those that get wind that we are looking for them don’t return or take calls when they realise it’s the authorities and we end up referring such matters to the police.”
