Opinion / Columnist
Rural dwellings must be solid structures
16 Mar 2019 at 20:31hrs | Views
Basic rural dwellings ought to be structures modelled in accordance with approved minimum standards. Cyclone Idai has left scores of people homeless in Mozambique. The round huts are no problem since the majority of men can put up and thatch them easily.
Challenges are encountered when building the so called 'mabhedhuru' where a few structures can be mistaken for livestock pens. Most rural houses are very nice and beautiful family structures, a case of urbanising the country side. It is those few 'carmel's backs' that are both a danger to the occupants and an eyesore.
A simple breeze can upturn the house and blow the roof away. The elements can be very harsh and cruel, we need to be prepared. Cyclones and whirlwinds can harm or kill people housed in poor structures. That old granny's hut needs attention, the poor orphans are living in a gaping hut, why?
Zimbabweans are known for their big hearts and hospitality, let's help the needy by repairing their dwellings. Authorities can get the ball rolling by coming up with simple core-house plans as models for minimum standards.
Even flat roofs that can stand solid and house our people, why not build a simple show house in each ward so people can see and copy? The same with rural business premises, some grinding mills are in hovels and under trees.
Three asbestos sheets and a few bricks is all it takes to beautifully house a grinding mill.
Tondo Murisa. Chinehasha.
Challenges are encountered when building the so called 'mabhedhuru' where a few structures can be mistaken for livestock pens. Most rural houses are very nice and beautiful family structures, a case of urbanising the country side. It is those few 'carmel's backs' that are both a danger to the occupants and an eyesore.
A simple breeze can upturn the house and blow the roof away. The elements can be very harsh and cruel, we need to be prepared. Cyclones and whirlwinds can harm or kill people housed in poor structures. That old granny's hut needs attention, the poor orphans are living in a gaping hut, why?
Even flat roofs that can stand solid and house our people, why not build a simple show house in each ward so people can see and copy? The same with rural business premises, some grinding mills are in hovels and under trees.
Three asbestos sheets and a few bricks is all it takes to beautifully house a grinding mill.
Tondo Murisa. Chinehasha.
Source - Tondo Murisa
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