By Judith Sibanda
Almost two years after Nsungwale villagers lost their homesteads and infrastructure to floods, the government is yet to complete the construction of the houses.
Floods hit the Nsungwale area under Chief Sinakoma on February 10 last year in the confluence of Sibwambwa, Sikande, Namapande and Manyenyengwa rivers, affecting 215 households and displacing 967 individuals, according to the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (Nango).
Nathan Nkomo, chief director in the Department of Civil Protection says the government has only managed to rebuild six houses.
“We have already completed about six of the 37 in the Nsungwale area though not yet roofed, so I think we are making progress,” Nkomo said on the sidelines of the climate change symposium in Victoria Falls.
“We need something like $80 million to finish rebuilding those houses.”
On the Chininga bridge that connected Nsungwale and Siabuwa and linked with Karoi, and Gokwe, Nkomo said nothing has been done to the bridge.
“If you go through our national contingency plan in 2021-2022 rainfall season, there is a figure of US$101 million which talks of a backlog infrastructure which requires rehabilitation and that bridge might be one of those because we came together and all the provinces presented the outstanding works of infrastructure being undertaken in their provinces so I wouldn’t be surprised.”
For Tsholotsho Cyclone Dineo flood victims which took place in February 2017 displacing 859 people, Nkomo said 280 houses have been rebuilt.
“We have constructed 280 houses of the 302 which we must construct, so we have remained with 25,” Nkomo revealed.
“Yes, it has taken more than four years to complete the process, but we are almost there now and the money to complete the 25 houses is in the budget.”
The climate change symposium which ends on Wednesday seeks to address the humanitarian impact of weather patterns and means of reducing it.
