STAFF WRITER
HORDES of commercial sex workers have thronged Inyathi business Centre in numbers lured by the illegal gold panners popularly known as amakorokoza.
The illegal gold panners drawn from different parts of the country have been descending in the Bubi area in the hunt of the precious minerals which are in abundance in the district.
Known for their easy going on the pocket after hitting the jackpot from the bowels of the earth, amakorokozas have also been the biggest customers for the ladies of the night.
A recent visit to Inyathi in Matabeleland North province revealed that amakorokoza and ladies of the night had a symbiotic relationship whose only link is money.
Inyathi Township Residents Association Greshen Gedion Moyo told The Zambezi Times that the two are a menace in the area.
“Makorokozas are a menace here, as you are aware here they are people of no fixed abode, they are all over. Their presence in this area has caused a number of problems like prostitution and sometimes crime.
“Prostitution is a big industry here. Many houses in the township are being rented by sex workers. It’s a big business, they are targeting amakorokoza,” Moyo said.
He however lamented their presence saying they were a bad influence to their kids.
“If there was a way these people could be chased from this area, because they exhibit bad behaviors and no morals at all. Imagine our kids now see prostitution and illegal gold panning as the quickest way of making money instead of education.”
Meanwhile, Inyathi Business Association committee member Sydney Muyambi also said the illegal gold panners were equally a menace.
“We have a problem with these amakorokozas, when they have no money they pounce on our shops and steal, they also waylay our employees and some residents. We already have cases of people who have been waylaid and harmed, police should act on these criminal elements.”
