News / National
Bulawayo suburbs drown
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For Prisca Moyo, a resident of Sizinda, the sight of darkening skies over Bulawayo brings a familiar dread. The thought of another night spent bailing water from her modest two-bedroomed house or drying out her furniture the next day is a recurring nightmare.
While the recent rains in Bulawayo are a welcome relief for the water-scarce city, some residents in suburbs such as Sizinda, Emakhandeni, and Cowdray Park now view them as a curse due to the persistent flooding caused by poor drainage systems.
Moyo's house, situated in a low-lying area of Sizinda, is highly susceptible to flash flooding even after small amounts of rain. Speaking to Saturday Chronicle yesterday, she shared her distressing experience.
"Nowadays, it doesn't take much rain for my yard to be filled with water. On the worst days, rainwater flows into the house, soaking anything that sits on the floor, including my sofas. Instead of celebrating the rains, I find myself fearing them," she said.
A survey conducted by the news crew in Sizinda revealed that many houses are affected by inadequate drainage. Damp surfaces and greenish walls—caused by prolonged exposure to stagnant water—are a common sight in the area.
Alisto Ndau, an elderly resident, has resigned himself to dealing with a water-soaked yard whenever it rains.
"My yard turns muddy and slippery, and there's nothing we can do about the pools of water that form," he lamented. He added that he no longer sees the point in repainting the section of his house that has turned green due to the stagnant water.
In Cowdray Park, Millian Phiri, who built an immaculate home for herself and her children, regrets her decision to settle in the area as heavy rains cause flooding.
"We are in trouble whenever it rains. When Cowdray Park receives heavy downpours, our property gets submerged in water," said Phiri.
Inside her bedroom, she has resorted to piling blankets and her children's clothes on top of the bed to prevent them from getting wet.
"Almost all my close neighbors are affected. Maybe building our homes in this part of Cowdray Park was a mistake," she said.
Similarly, in New Lobengula, Prince Nhliziyo has been forced to elevate his household property using bricks to prevent water damage.
Last month, a meeting attended by various government departments, including the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) and city council representatives, was convened to assess the situation. Tswagai Fikile Marovatsanga, the Director of Local Government in Bulawayo, assured residents that work on improving the drainage system would commence after the rainy season in Cowdray Park.
However, the situation in affected suburbs is expected to worsen as the Meteorological Service Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) has predicted normal to above-normal rainfall for the 2024-2025 season, leaving many residents bracing for more hardship.
While the recent rains in Bulawayo are a welcome relief for the water-scarce city, some residents in suburbs such as Sizinda, Emakhandeni, and Cowdray Park now view them as a curse due to the persistent flooding caused by poor drainage systems.
Moyo's house, situated in a low-lying area of Sizinda, is highly susceptible to flash flooding even after small amounts of rain. Speaking to Saturday Chronicle yesterday, she shared her distressing experience.
"Nowadays, it doesn't take much rain for my yard to be filled with water. On the worst days, rainwater flows into the house, soaking anything that sits on the floor, including my sofas. Instead of celebrating the rains, I find myself fearing them," she said.
A survey conducted by the news crew in Sizinda revealed that many houses are affected by inadequate drainage. Damp surfaces and greenish walls—caused by prolonged exposure to stagnant water—are a common sight in the area.
Alisto Ndau, an elderly resident, has resigned himself to dealing with a water-soaked yard whenever it rains.
"My yard turns muddy and slippery, and there's nothing we can do about the pools of water that form," he lamented. He added that he no longer sees the point in repainting the section of his house that has turned green due to the stagnant water.
In Cowdray Park, Millian Phiri, who built an immaculate home for herself and her children, regrets her decision to settle in the area as heavy rains cause flooding.
"We are in trouble whenever it rains. When Cowdray Park receives heavy downpours, our property gets submerged in water," said Phiri.
Inside her bedroom, she has resorted to piling blankets and her children's clothes on top of the bed to prevent them from getting wet.
"Almost all my close neighbors are affected. Maybe building our homes in this part of Cowdray Park was a mistake," she said.
Similarly, in New Lobengula, Prince Nhliziyo has been forced to elevate his household property using bricks to prevent water damage.
Last month, a meeting attended by various government departments, including the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) and city council representatives, was convened to assess the situation. Tswagai Fikile Marovatsanga, the Director of Local Government in Bulawayo, assured residents that work on improving the drainage system would commence after the rainy season in Cowdray Park.
However, the situation in affected suburbs is expected to worsen as the Meteorological Service Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) has predicted normal to above-normal rainfall for the 2024-2025 season, leaving many residents bracing for more hardship.
Source - The Chronicle
