HLUPHEKANI – Mozambicans who ran away from poverty in their own country for greener pastures in Giyani found out that the pastures have turned into a desert.

Mr Daniel Sambo, former Frelimo soldier, now chief-in-charge of the Hluphekani refugee camp, explains how he and his people are spending days and nights on empty stomachs. Sambo came to South Africa in 1985, running away from poverty and war, walking barefoot for about seven days, avoiding wild animals.

Some of the people accompanying him have been killed by Renamo soldiers, the then rebel group of Alfonso Dlakama. Others died of hunger.

Arriving at Giyani, they were about fifteen families. Now they are more than a thousand. "The former government provided us with mealie meal, soap and clothes". The Red Cross constructed the Rhandzanani Clinic, which has since been converted into Sambo's family house.

He explains that some of his people are at present dying of hunger, hence the name Hluphekani, which means 'suffering'. Some survive by selling products at the taxi rank, some are working on the farms. "Farmers come to me and ask for my people to work for them. I have only had one problem, where one farmer refused to pay my people," he said.

They are experiencing neighbourliness and they relate well to the local population, he said. According to him, Chief Thandabantu also took care of them.

He claims that they are now a forgotten people, and the trucks that were used to transport people back to Mozambique are no longer provided.

Crime is rife at Hluphekani and there is a high birth rate. Some of the people end up soliciting for as little as ten rand, for survival.

A number of new immigrants sitting on the corner explain that they are living on empty stomachs. One boy explains that he had left school, because his parents could not afford school fees. He ran away from home, hoping to get a job and send something to his parents to rebuild their house that was destroyed.

Sambo is appealing to the Government to create jobs and to grant them full citizenship of the country. Most of his people can't even afford to pay for any ID photo. He is also appealing to business people to rescue them from poverty.