IMAGINE every rainy season, your yard gets flooded; water levels get up to knee level like a river forcing its way into the house and damaging property, and the only solution is to demolish your house and move out.
This is the fate faced by Mr Brian Ndlovu of Harrisvale suburb in Bulawayo and his family.
As a result of his home being turned into a “river”, Mr Ndlovu has lost so much including a car and household property that was submerged in water.
Bulawayo City Council has since decided that the only way for the family to escape the destructive floods is to demolish the property that Mr Ndlovu bought a few years ago.
This was after the local authority sent a team from the Engineering Services (Roads) and Financial Services departments that conducted a survey to determine the properties that were likely to be affected by flooding in the area.
It was observed that the home in question, number 9 Hollyhock Close is located on a watercourse within a flood plain “so nothing must be left in the water’s path”.
Harrisvale houses foundation affected by rain
According to the latest council minutes, the house has severe flooding every year since 2018.
The property owners submitted a Public Liability claim for damage to their property in March 2018, which resulted in the insurance company disbursing funds.
According to the minutes, in January of 2022, the property flooded again and the family submitted a second Public Liability claim, but this time it fell through.
“The flooding incident was a natural cause and insurance does not cover liability against natural causes. The current owners were the third owners of the property and queries were raised on the sudden emergence of flooding occurrences, considering no historical information was available on the previous tenants’ flooding, as previous owners could have sold the property in an attempt to avoid the occurring floods,” read the minutes.
“The geographical location of number 9 Hollyhock Close makes it prone to flooding. It was observed that two properties numbers 14 and 16 had their floor slabs raised to levels that were above normal, 150mm above ground level. This made the properties on 14 and 16 less susceptible to flooding.”
According to the minutes, Councillor Rodney Jele was of the view that council utilises the property for other purposes such as establishing a youth centre instead of demolishing it.
However, the assistant director of Housing and Community Services Zenzo Sibanda said there was no alternative other than to demolish the property.
“The Assistant Director of Housing and Community Services advised that the property was on the waterway hence occupation of any kind was not possible. He added that council would compensate the owner and assist the owner to acquire a stand should he wish to. Offering building assistance puts council at risk of encountering the same challenge it was currently facing,” read the minutes.
As such, the local authority resolved to demolish the property so that it becomes a water drainage thoroughfare and compensate the owners.
Mr Ndlovu will be compensated based on a fair valuation of the property.
“That the current owner surrenders his title deeds to council as part of the implementation process once compensation has been concluded. That should the owner opt to rebuild he can be assisted to purchase a stand from council,” read part of the council’s resolution.
Mr Ndlovu declined to comment.
A Chronicle news crew visited Harrisvale and it seems that water from different directions converges and passes through Hollynock Close.
Residents who live in that close said flooding has been a perennial problem not only affecting house number 9.
The area has various drainage trenches with one that looks more than half a meter deep and nearly a meter-wide passing through the affected house.
Harrisvale houses affected by rain
One of Mr Ndlovu’s neighbours, Mr Allen Suitor said the water flows like a river through his yard into his neighbour’s.
“When it rains and the drains get full on Cosmo Road, the water flows across the road into our yards, making a big trench, cutting through my neighbour’s yard and causing destruction. The way I look at it is that the pipes are too small so the water that comes from wherever overwhelms them and spills over the drain and gets into our yards,” he said.
He said the problem started in the 90s when the neighbourhood started being extended.
“It has been happening ever since they started extending Harrisvale. I have been here since 1979. In this section of Harrisvale the 10 houses here, we didn’t have these problems. So the water comes flowing from Upper Harrisvale, and it’s a big problem,” said Mr Suitor.
Another neighbour, who lives two houses from the flood-prone house, who only identified herself as MaMpofu, showed the news crew where the floods have damaged the bricks on her house.
She said sometimes water gets to knee level in her yard.
“We have tried a lot of tricks when it rains. For example, we have dug trenches to guide the water and sweet potato mounds.
When it rains, it floods here up to knee level. I’m afraid for my house because the water has damaged it, the bricks are disintegrating and the walls are cracking,” said MaMpofu. – The Chronicle
