Suburban
The floods which hit some suburbs in Harare West this week torched debate among the capital city’s residents on the problems caused by land barons who have sold stands on almost any piece of open land including on wetlands and close to rivers and streams.
Suburban Reporter
Below are some of the reactions from Harare residents who were commenting on the videos of the flooding which took place in Goodhope, Willow Creek, Tnywald North and Westgate on the Suburban Facebook Page.
Tom Mthombeni: This is the problem caused by land barons who sell people wetlands stands using their political connections. Forget about drainage. Some of these places (are) always flooded because they are wetlands.
They will not stop flooding just because some baron has sold the land to unsuspecting and sometimes often gullible and desperate buyers. Stop land barons.
Itai Obert: Stop building in wetlands, please. When environmentalists campaigned against building in water, many dismissed them as being foreign sponsored. This mainly came from supporters of land barons who capitalise on lack of housing land purchasing processes. Nature is now teaching these very people a good lesson.
The Government, ministries of lands, housing, local government etc, municipalities, land barons and the home owners are equally to blame. Those properties must be removed. Wetlands should be preserved for flora and fauna.
Tammy Manuel: Itai Obert well said!
Vinnie Kahiya: Oh which areas of Goodhope?
Suburban: Willow Creek area
Vinnie Kahiya: Water from the potato farm
Michael Masawi: What a shame.
Tammy Manuel: Well that’s what you get for building on wetlands!
Herbert Mhonde: Tammy Manuel: That’s insane to laugh at such a serious issue. Wake up, you must be sleeping dude.
Tammy Manuel: Hebert Mhonde: Unless you didn’t get educated on environmental issues, you should know about the numerous reasons why building on wetlands is actually illegal. The fact that people allow greed to run their lives, regardless of the safety of other humans and the preservation of our wetlands which ultimately affects our water supply, is something I have no control over and all I can do is laugh at how gullible people are, and how they let their education and common sense be dribbled out from under their feet by a greedy individual conning them blind just so that individual can make some money off of them!
Gamu Gudyanga: Tjo, this is insane.
Kirsty Dzuda: Aah nema dhuriro anoita Good Hope ndoo zvairi izvi? (Is this the situation (residents find themselves in) with how pricey the Good Hope stands are?)
Patience Patongamwoyo: Man vs nature. It always ends in tears.
James Hewitt: When you build on marshlands
Jimu Makurumbandi: The problem is not about building on wetlands but how much is invested in the project. If you cut corners this is exactly the result! And you will lose even more rather.
Mai Jay: Building in wetlands is never a good idea.
Mildred Mutimukulu: Tjoo this is bad hayi kancane shame.
Maxwell: How much was invested in drainage. It’s a very small amount of rainfall to cause such a high level of flash flood. This is the result of cutting corners.
Sam Dongasi: What do you expect when you build houses in swampy areas.
Justin Aufi: Engineers?
Audrey Ward: these houses are they not build on wetlands?
Tendai Savala: Maiwee zvangu (Goodness me)
Elizabeth Matonhodze: Tendai Savala, pakaipa ini ndakamuka yard yazara poo yakazoserera hayo mvura yacho “Tendai Savala, it’s tough I woke up and my yard was full of sewage water. The water later subsided).
Daphne Mhembere: Eish. Inga zvakaoma (it’s sad).
