While many people across Bulawayo welcome the rains with joy and relief, residents of Cowdray Park approach them with fear and anxiety, bracing for the floods that have become a painful part of their lives.
Heavy rains often turn their roads into rivers and their yards into muddy pools, destroying property and disrupting daily life. The recurring floods, worsened by poor drainage systems, have left many residents questioning when lasting solutions will come, and whether they will ever be able to enjoy the rain like everyone else.
The section, established by the government after Zimbabwe’s 2005 Operation Murambatsvina, has long struggled with inadequate infrastructure, particularly the lack of a proper drainage system.
The housing project was handed over to the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in 2009, but it still lacks essential services such as drainage and properly serviced roads.
When a CITE news crew visited the area on Sunday, a BCC team was grading a road while residents watched anxiously in the drizzle, hoping the work would finally bring relief.
Last year, officials from various government departments, including the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) and local government representatives, visited the area to assess the situation. At the time, Tswagai Fikile Marovatsanga, the Director of Local Government in Bulawayo, promised that a drainage system would be installed once the rains subsided. However, that promise remains unfulfilled.
Some residents have resorted to building interior walls inside their homes in a desperate attempt to stop floodwater from reaching the main walls.
Segment 11 resident leader, Gift Gumbo, said the community has repeatedly appealed for help, but their pleas have gone unanswered.
“This place has a serious challenge. Every year, we experience flooding and people lose their property. We have made so many appeals to the council and government, and officials from the provincial and national offices have been here to see the problem. But we are now in another rainy season without a solution,” said Gumbo.
He added that community leaders are often the first to respond when floods hit, leaving them emotionally and physically drained.
“Two days ago, it rained again. When flooding starts, we don’t sleep because residents keep calling for help. We don’t know how else to get our problem heard. Council officials have been here several times, they know the situation, but it feels like they are turning a blind eye,” he said.
Gumbo said losing property in Zimbabwe’s harsh economic climate is devastating.
“People are in a dilemma. Losing household goods here is stressful because it’s hard to recover from such losses. We are appealing for help, even from non-governmental organisations, to assist us in developing this area. To us, that would be a blessing,” he added.
Another resident, Poland Mpofu, said while most people celebrate the rains, Cowdray Park residents live in fear.
“When it rains, it’s a risk to us. We have approached the City Council several times for help, but all our efforts have been in vain. We’ve had meetings with city engineers who make promises but never fulfil them. Then another rainy season comes, and nothing changes,” Mpofu said.
He recalled that at one point, officials promised to fix the problem within four days.
“They said they would return after the water subsided, but years have passed. Now the rains are back, and the same problem is here again,” he said.
Mpofu added that the flooding also poses a danger to schoolchildren.
“Children cross flooded roads to get to school. There’s no bridge or culvert, the one that was there was removed by the Council because it was diverting water into people’s homes. It’s dangerous, and we fear a child might drown one day,” he said.
He also expressed concern about the ongoing electricity connection programme.
“With the flooding, we fear for our lives. We now live in anxiety, both council and government know our situation, but nothing changes. We don’t know who to turn to,” Mpofu said.
Another resident, who requested anonymity to protect her job, said she suffers from anxiety whenever it rains.
“Each time it rains, I panic. I had to leave work to come home, but even staying here is difficult, I have to guard against water entering the house,” she said.
She added that her young child has been traumatised by the frequent flooding.
“My baby wakes up terrified in the middle of the night. Recently, when she wanted to use the toilet, the water was knee-deep. I’ve since taken her away from the house,” she said.
The resident said she has lost most of her household property and has been unable to replace it.
“I’ve lost my decoder, inverter, wardrobe, laptop and phones. I can’t even use my car when it rains. Every rainy day brings the same fear,” she said.
Ward 6 Councillor, Nkosinathi Hove, said there has been some progress regarding the relocation of residents living in the most affected areas.
“For households set for relocation, there has been progress. Council sent an approval request to central government, and it has been granted. The City Council has paid the Surveyor-General, and residents who are being relocated will soon be shown their new stands near TM,” Hove said.
He added that the broader flooding issue would also be addressed through infrastructure upgrades.
“For the general flooding that affects everyone, servicing the sewer system, roads and drainage infrastructure will help reduce flooding in the area,” said Hove.
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