Zimbabwe News Update
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2 min read
while many people across bulawayo welcome the rains with joy and relief, residents of cowdray park approach them with fear and anxiety, bracing for the floods that have become a painful part of their lives. heavy rains often turn their roads into rivers and their yards into muddy pools, destroying property and disrupting daily life. the recurring floods, worsened by poor drainage systems, have left many residents questioning when lasting solutions will come, and whether they will ever be able to enjoy the rain like everyone else. the section, established by the government after zimbabwe’s 2005 operation murambatsvina, has long struggled with inadequate infrastructure, particularly the lack of a proper drainage system.
the housing project was handed over to the bulawayo city council (bcc) in 2009, but it still lacks essential services such as drainage and properly serviced roads. when acitenews crew visited the area on sunday, a bcc team was grading a road while residents watched anxiously in the drizzle, hoping the work would finally bring relief. last year, officials from various government departments, including the civil protection unit (cpu) and local government representatives, visited the area to assess the situation. at the time, tswagai fikile marovatsanga, the director of local government in bulawayo, promised that a drainage system would be installed once the rains subsided. however, that promise remains unfulfilled.
some residents have resorted to building interior walls inside their homes in a desperate attempt to stop floodwater from reaching the main walls. segment 11 resident leader, gift gumbo, said the community has repeatedly appealed for help, but their pleas have gone unanswered. “this place has a serious challenge. every year, we experience flooding and people lose their property. we have made so many appeals to the council and government, and officials from the provincial and national offices have been here to see the problem. but we are now in another rainy season without a solution,” said gumbo. he added that community leaders are often the first to respond when floods hit, leaving them emotionally and physically drained. “two days ago, it rained again.
when flooding starts, we don’t sleep because residents keep calling for help. we don’t know how else to get our problem heard. council officials have been here several times, they know the situation, but it feels like they are turning a blind eye,” he said. gumbo said losing property in zimbabwe’s harsh economic climate is devastating. source: cite
