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Attend to poor drainage system' residents tell council
Community Radio Harare (CORAH)
January 16, 2013

Harare residents have urged the city council to attend to poor drainage system which is causing flooding in the capital.

Amon Zandonda a taxi driver in the city centre expressed disappointment over most roads in the capital which are flooding.

"Ndinongonzwa kushushikana nekunetsekana maererano nekuwanda kwakaita mapotholes mumamainroads ese anobuda mutown akaita seBulawayo road. Motokari dzirikuti dzikada kuti dzifambe mvura ikanaya unorova pothole usingazive kuti pane pothole nekuti mvura inenge yakajenga saka tanga tichikumbirawo kune vari responsible vemaroads vakwanise kumaintenawo maroads tikwanise kufamba zvakanaka nekuti kazhinji ukada kuedza kunzvenga pothole unopedzisira warovana neimwe motokari. (It's disappointing to note that most roads in Harare have potholes especially the main roads. Motorists are struggling to move in these roads as potholes are flooded with water and trying to avoid them can result in accidents)," he said.

Another resident Shuvai Chimhenga who is a vendor at Fourth Street bus terminus also said there is need for the city council to repair drainage systems to avoid flooding. "The city of Harare should maintain these drainage patterns as most roads are flooding every rainy season, and this makes it difficult for us to move around town when it is raining," she said.

In an interview with Talking Harare, Director of Harare Residents Trust, Precious Shumba urged city council to improve the drainage system as most roads in the city are flooding due to blocking from uncollected refuse and mud.

"The drainage system is as good as non-existent in Harare because the roads which have the drainage ways are marred with potholes such that if it rains the water will not move. This means that the system that is supposed to move water to its designated areas does not exist. Take for example Samora Machel Avenue, if it rains for just a short time, this road is immediately filled with water as if it's flooding. So we urge the city council to come with proper strategies and ways to improve the drainage system in the capital," he said.

He also added that the city council should make sure it improves on refuse collection as the drainage systems are being blocked by litter.

However, Mabvuku Ward 21 Councillor Enias Gangezha blamed the government for taking over the vehicle licensing funds through ZINARA as the revenue collected was meant for roads and drainage system maintenance.

"The problem we are facing as city council is that we used to obtain funds for road maintenance from the vehicle licensing but now that the government introduced ZINARA which is now in charge of these funds, it has been very difficult for us to maintain these roads. So this has resulted in lack of proper funding for the maintenance of roads. But for now at least there are plans to improve the situation on the roads because the city council acquired machines which are meant for maintaining and refurbishing roads," he said.

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