By Staff Reporter
THE Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has slammed Harare City Council for shoddy service delivery which has seen the latest wave of heavy rains disrupting service delivery.
Residents of Budiriro and Glen View high-density suburbs in Harare have raised concern over the poor state of local roads, with some areas having remained impassable for weeks due to persistent rains.
In Glen View 7 viral videos showed heavy rains invading houses and leaving a trail of infrastructure destruction. The situation is the same across most parts of the city prompting many to criticise Harare City Council.
Confirming the frustration , CHRA rapped the local authority for not implementing advice offered over the years.
“Over the years, the local authority has been allocating housing stands on wetlands, open spaces and waterways, exposing residents to flooding and other natural disasters,” CHRA, led by Reuben Akili, said.
The association said declining revenue inflows had pushed the city to rely on land sales to pay salaries, a practice later halted by a directive from the Local Government ministry.
However, Harare mayor Jacob Mafume said the city welcomed the rains, which were expected to boost water supplies, although he acknowledged the challenges posed by flooding.
“Unfortunately, the rains came with their own problems, but we will deal with the effects of flash flooding and improve the drainage system. We remain thankful for the rains,” Mafume said, adding that council engineers were on the ground.
In a separate statement, the City of Harare said it was on high alert following days of relentless rainfall that triggered flash flooding in low-lying areas.
