Twenty-seven (27) families in Budiriro, Harare, whose homes were flooded after heavy rains caused the Marimba River to overflow are set to be accommodated at the newly constructed flats in Dzivarasekwa Extension.
Fifty-nine households in Harare’s Budiriro 5B Extension and the paddocks area of Kuwadzana were recently forced out of their homes by flash flooding along the Marimba River.
Some of the affected families have been evacuated to Budiriro 3 Primary School where they are being temporarily housed.
National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe, Local Government and Public Works Minister Winston Chitando and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province Charles Tavengwa, on Sunday, 31 December visited the areas affected by floods in Budiriro and then went on to inspect Dzivarasekwa flats.
Speaking during the tour, Chitando said that the 27 families will occupy Dzivarasekwa flats that were identified two years ago when flash floods swept through the suburb. <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200021583/govt-abandons-flood-victims">NewsDay</a> quoted Chitando as saying:
<blockquote>
Two years back the minister of Housing went to Budiriro and confirmed the illegality of the houses which are on a wetland next to a river and arranged that the people be moved to these flats unfortunately before they could be moved, tragedy struck but the units are ready and families will be moved.
From a public works perspective, we are handing over the units to the Ministry of Housing which will handle the process accordingly.
</blockquote>
Garwe said the flats will be handed over to the 27 families once they are spruced up by the Department of Public Works in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. He said:
<blockquote>
We have 100 metres of sewer lines that need to be connected and external works need to be spruced up as well.
Once that is done, then we wait for the commissioning of the four blocks as well as the handing over to the 27 families.
We have 48 units here and these units are not designed for flood victims only, it is just a coincidence that flood victims need attention.
We are providing accommodation to Zimbabweans throughout the country and this is not the only place where flats are being constructed.
We have got flats in the Midlands in Gweru, Marondera, Mutawatawa and even in rural communities we are now building flats.
</blockquote>
Tavengwa said houses illegally built on wetlands would be demolished. He said:
<blockquote>
People are being affected because we do not have a master plan. We have to abide by the law and what has to be demolished will be demolished. We have to have a planned society.
</blockquote>
One of the flood victims, Susan Mlambo Chaputika, said she moved to Budiriro in 2015, and the following year, they realised that the area was flood-prone. She said:
<blockquote>
During the 2016 rainy season, we noticed that the area was prone to flooding. We reported the matter to the council and they said they would attend to it but to date, they have not done anything.
The issue of floods kept recurring every season and between 2019 and 2021 that is when we alerted government officials and the matter became public.
Government responded by setting up evacuation centres. They said some flats were being built in Dzivarasekwa, we went there and we saw that there was progress and today they are telling us that we will be moved in January.
</blockquote>
An Environmental Management Agency (EMA) official Liberty Mugadza recently told ZBC News that the City of Harare ignored an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in allocating residential stands to Budiriro homeowners whose houses have been inundated by floodwaters.
He said they gave the local authority a map of the area indicating where houses should not be built.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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Budiriro Flood Victims Set To Be Moved To Dzivarasekwa Flats

A woman whose six-year-old son was swept away and killed by the floods in Budiriro last week has said she was being threatened by land barons.
The woman, who chose to identify herself as Shildah, told <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/budiriro-flood-victims-moved-to-dzivarasekwa-flats/">The Herald</a> that she had to seek shelter at Budiriro 3 Primary School because she was being threatened by land barons for reporting that her son was swept away by the floods. She said:
<blockquote>
I am being threatened on why I reported that my child was swept away by the floods. I was being blocked on the roads and from having access to basic necessities.
</blockquote>
The body of the boy was recovered some 5km downstream from her place of residence on Wednesday.
Land barons, most of whom are linked to ZANU PF, have been illegally selling council and State land to home seekers over the years.
Last week, ZANU PF distanced itself from land barons illegally parcelling out land in different parts of the country using its name and demanded that law enforcement agencies ensure that the law takes its course.
In a statement, ZANU PF acting secretary-general Patrick Chinamasa said that the ruling party did not condone the unlawful land occupations and illegal activities of land barons.
Harare Residents Trust (HRT) director, Precious Shumba, recently told <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200021584/council-by-laws-to-criminalise-land-barons">NewsDay</a> that land barons were to blame for flooding in Budiriro this month which affected several families. Said Shumba:
<blockquote>
Flooding is predictable in wetlands and low-lying areas such as Budiriro.
With all that knowledge, corrupt people in both council and the government have been collaborating with land barons to allocate people residential stands on the wetlands and water pathways without any consideration of the impacts of their actions.
If you visit and interview some of the victims, they reveal that identified council officials have misled the City of Harare by collecting money from the land barons and promising the desperate home seekers that nothing will happen to them.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Mother Of Budiriro Boy (6) Swept Away By Floods Threatened By Land Barons

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has said the Harare City Council ignored an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in allocating residential stands to Budiriro 5 CABS area homeowners whose houses have been inundated by floodwaters.
A Budiriro resident, Catherine Mugore, told <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/?p=18831">ZBC News</a> that an EIA conducted by EMA marked coordinates for the area, which showed the dangers of allocating residential on a river course. She said:
<blockquote>
All these houses which you see submerged in water were condemned by EMA a long time ago.
EMA noted that all the stands they red-flagged out of their coordinates were not supposed to be used or inhabited.
</blockquote>
EMA Principal Officer Liberty Mugadza told ZBC News that they gave the City of Harare a map of the area indicating where houses should not be built. Said Mugadza:
<blockquote>
An Environmental Impact Assessment must be done before any construction takes place but for the situation on the ground that was not done and efforts to ratify after the council had allocated land were then done when the council approached EMA.
An ecological assessment was done and demarcations were put where it’s possible to build and where it cannot be done.
All this information was given to the planning department at the local authority.
Now what is coming to our surprise is the time taken to effect the necessary changes.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association chairperson, Takesure Musiiwa said the local authority claims residents settled on the land illegally but the homeowners have proof of payment to the council. He said:
<blockquote>
The situation I am seeing here in Budiriro is vice versa. Instead of the council approaching EMA, they are inviting EMA to look into the current problems.
The council claims the affected people illegally acquired the stands, but if you go to the residents, they have proof of payment to the council. So, it gives a discord to what is happening.
</blockquote>
Fifty-one Budiriro 5B Extension residents have been moved to a temporary evacuation centre after their houses were submerged by water from the adjacent Marimba River when it broke its banks, a senior government official was reported as saying.
Ministry of Local Government and Public Works communication and advocacy director Gabriel Masvora said that a minor aged six years was swept away in the Marimba River. Her body was later retrieved.
Masvora said the rains had damaged property valued at nearly US$189 000 in Budiriro and Kuwadzana Paddocks.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Budiriro Floods: Council Ignored Warning And Pegged Stands On River Course - EMA

More than 1 600 houses have reportedly been damaged by flash floods since the onset of the rainy season in October, resulting in the loss of properties valued at thousands of dollars.
According to <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/flash-floods-damage-1-600-houses">The Sunday Mail</a>, 52 people have been killed during incidents of adverse weather, while 28 have sustained injuries.
The largest number of damaged houses (688) was reported in the Midlands Province, with Mashonaland Central Province (400) the second most affected province.
Ministry of Local Government and Public Works communication and advocacy director Gabriel Masvora revealed that in Harare’s Budiriro 5B Extension, 51 residents have been evacuated. He said:
<blockquote>
Budiriro 5B Extension and Kuwadzana residential areas (paddocks) experienced flooding due to incessant rains on December 21 and 22, 2023.
Unfortunately, a minor aged six years was swept away in the Marimba River and the body has since been retrieved and awaits a post-mortem.
Several houses, household items and access roads were damaged.
Two evacuation centres, namely, Budiriro 3 Primary School and Kuwadzana 2 Primary School were identified.
Relief in the form of food and non-food items is being distributed to affected households.
For Budiriro Common Vision, 42 households were affected by the flooded Marimba River on Friday, December 22, around 2 AM.
The affected households lost their foodstuff and household property, while one house was destroyed.
Of the 42 affected households, only 12 families (51 people) volunteered to be evacuated to Budiriro 3 Primary School.
</blockquote>
Masvora said the rains had damaged property valued at nearly US$189 000.
Almost every rainy season, some urban settlements in Zimbabwe, especially Harare and Chitungwiza, experience flash floods as heavy and prolonged rain overwhelms the capacity of drainage systems.
Factors contributing to flooding in urban areas include inadequate drainage infrastructure, and the replacement of natural surfaces such as vegetation and soil with impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt which reduces the absorption of rainwater, leading to increased runoff and flooding.
Another factor is poor urban planning and zoning, whereby city fathers approve construction in low-lying areas, river banks and wetlands.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Flash Floods Damage 1 600 Houses Countrywide

Zimbabwe Human Rights Lawyers, in collaboration with the Harare City Council, are inviting sympathisers to provide humanitarian aid to over 90 families in Budiriro who were displaced by recent floods. The affected families are in urgent need of blankets, food, and accommodation. Those willing to help can contact the Harare City Council or ZIMRIGHTS organisations for assistance.
The houses affected by the floods are located in an area called Murazi, previously known as “kwaPeter,” at the end of Budiriro 4. In a joint statement, the local government authority and the ZIMRIGHTS Lawyers said:
<blockquote>
Budiriro Floods Alert Over 90 families in Budiriro have been rendered homeless by floods. Urgent help is required in form of blankets, food and accommodation. Those willing to assist get in touch on the numbers below:
HARARE CITY COUNCIL – 0772430230
ZIMRIGHTS HARARE REGION – 0774358512
ZIMRIGHTS HEAD OFFICE – 0782767569
</blockquote>
The incident has sparked public outrage, with some blaming those who allocated land in wetlands for the tragedy.
Darlington Chigumbu, the Member of Parliament for Budiriro South, called for decisive action against land barons who profited from the illegal sale of stands and corrupt officials who authorized these allocations. He said:
<blockquote>
It is heart breaking that as leaders we subject the people we lead to such tragedies. Someone pocketed money through selling of these stands, Someone got a cut to authorise this illegality. Land barons must be dealt with decisively.
</blockquote>
Others questioned whether the council is capable of meeting the demand for stands and suggested that they may be neglecting those on the waiting list while allocating land to unauthorised individuals.
Land barons have been illegally allocating land, including in wetlands, often with the assistance of corrupt council officials. Over the years, local government authorities have demolished thousands of houses built on illegally acquired or undesignated land.
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