Suburban
Floods hit some parts of Goodhope, Willow Creek, Tynwald North and Westgate this week with the rains filling up residents’ yards, damaging household property and washing away security walls, garden tool, pets such as dogs and sliding gates.
Diana Nherera and Peter Tanyanyiwa
Suburban Reporters
The floods have been blamed on developers who pegged stands close to rivers and streams, lack of drainage systems in recently built suburbs and clogged drains which prevent rainwater from flowing to rivers.
Residents in the four Harare West suburbs were left ruing their losses on Sunday night following heavy rains that have been pounding most parts of the country.
The worst affected residents were those with properties in the direction of Gwebi River in Goodhope and Willow Creek as the flooding worsened because of the overflowing river nearby.
Mansions of all shapes and designs could be seen submerged in water while residents tried to figure out their next course of action or what they could possibly salvage from the destruction.
“This happening now on Willow Creek. Let’s exercise caution all those with yards that are filled up with water please switch off sockets, all low lying power sockets to avoid any electrocutions,” a resident is heard advising neighbours on a video.
Some lost their pets as residents could be heard saying some dogs had been washed away by the floods.
“That’s Innocent’s dog, my dogs always stay in the yard, they never leave my yard,” a man is heard saying on one of the videos circulating by residents.
At one of the houses the security wall was completely brought down leaving no boundary between the adjoining properties a double storey mansion and another property next to it.
“This is happening right here as you can see the wall here has come down, it has tumbled. That’s the wall to the next property. The wall has tumbled. Look at where the water levels are. I consider myself a tall person, the water levels (are high), it’s pretty deep here,” a resident is heard saying in one of the videos.
Another resident had their sliding gate swept away by the floods and it was recovered down the road from their property.
“We are just recovering a gate from one of the properties that had been swept away,” a resident taking a video of the three men helping each other to carry the sliding gate back to the owner’s property could be heard saying.
In yet another video a group of residents forms a beeline walking in the water with sticks to check the depth of the water while assessing the damage left by the floods.
“This is where all our problems are here,” a man says presumably pointing at the poor drainage system or the fact that their properties were in the direction of Gwebi River.
Another resident could also be heard asking a fellow resident if he heard posted the video on the group (presumably a residents’ group) for those in other parts of Goodhope to know the tragedy that had hit some in the low density suburb.
Some have blamed lack of proper planning by the land developers and poor drainage systems for the mishap that befell the Goodhope, Willow Creek, Tynwald North and Westgate residents.
Former Ward 41 Councillor Mrs Kudzai Kadzombe said the floods were a direct consequence of poor planning in Goodhope.
She said the authorities and land developers who were responsible for planning and allocation of stands in the suburb should have realised that this was going to happen especially given the fact that the stands were allocated close to streams.
The Willow Creek area was also equally badly affected as some of the stands are right beside a stream.
Although no fatalities were reported from the floods, a lot of property was damaged including household property and the buildings themselves.
Mrs Kadzombe expressed disappointment on the shoddy job that was done by the (City of Harare’s) planning department which is now endangering the lives and properties of residents.
“These stands were allocated to residents, meaning there are inspectors that came to see if this was good space for residential stands and they signed off on it. This was very poor planning and it should not be allowed to happen again. We thank God in Ward 41 there were no recorded deaths as a result of these floods. But anyone can see that the houses are too close to the stream and it’s not safe for anyone,” she said.
According to Goodhope residents, every rain season if it rains heavily they experience some flooding but this week’s floods were the worst they have experienced since moving onto their stands and houses.
The residents said they had never experienced floods where water actually flows into their houses.
They called on the authorities to help improve the drainage system in Goodhope to avoid similar incidents in future when heavy rains fall.
Reports also indicated some sections of Westgate also experienced flooding at houses.
In Tynwald North, residents were also complaining of flooding inside their flats due to the current rains being experienced.
The situation was so bad that on Monday following Sunday night’s heavy rains, they had to lift their furniture and clothing from the flooded rooms and put it outside.
A resident said those who live on the ground floor were the worst affected by the flooding. The floods were as a result of lack of drainage systems in the area where the flats were built.
“Water is inside houses especially on blocks 11, 14,15 and 16. (the) flats are on ground floor. Tynwald North drainage problems, furniture and clothes are outside,” said the resident.
She said there is need to push for Government to finalise completion of the flats.
“I think it is high time we push for the Ministry to either finalise whatever is left in terms of surveying or surrender it to us for a way forward. The properties are now getting damaged before they are completed.
“This is something really outstanding and must be finalised after this rainy season,” she said.
Former Councillor for Ward 16 Mr Denford Ngadziore said some owners of the flats built the properties without certificates of compliance.
“A section of some property owners in Tynwald North proceeded to build houses without certificates of compliance.
“In order to have a certificate of compliance, it means sewer, water, roads and drainage systems have been done and approved. Under the current situation in Tynwald North, some households have no drainage systems,” he said.
Mr Ngadziore said in 2019, he engaged the property owners without drainage systems so that they could approach the City of Harare for regularization but a few people turned up.
“Where there are drainage systems, the floods are being caused by non-clearance of drainage systems by council.
“The blame should be given to both council and the property owners who failed to follow council by-laws,” he said.
