A MASSIVE gully has developed in Victoria Falls’ Chinotimba suburb threatening a school and church premises, as well as nearby houses and a graveyard.
It is understood the gully started developing about five years ago and has now stretched into Oasis Christian Academy grounds.
The gully was close to 500 metres away from the school in 2020 but is now less than 10 metres away from a fowl run within the learning institution’s premises.
It has expanded in width and depth and flows down towards Masue River south of the city centre.
A news crew visited the site in Ward 10 yesterday and observed that the gully was now on the edge of the school and also threatening two tarred roads.
United Apostolic Faith Church’s Abundant Life Centre which owns Oasis Academy, is also a few metres away. There are also nearby houses.
Some litter bugs are using the gully as a dumpsite; throwing different kinds of waste material including broken down ceramic ware, plastics and other items.
There are also car wrecks that have been put inside the gully to prevent erosion.
Oasis Academy principal Pastor Stanfordiars Tembo Ndlovu said they once appealed to the Victoria Falls City Council to attend to the gully when it was just starting to develop.
“We initially saw it when it was 500 metres away in 2020, we tried to inform council asking them to attend to it. They filled it with rubble but it didn’t work as the rains washed down everything as the gully continued to gradually develop.
“We are concerned about our school as the gully is approaching which might end up affecting the strength of foundations for our buildings. So we will be happy if there could be assistance to reclaim it,” said Pastor Ndlovu.
He said there is need for rubble and mesh wire to stop the gulley developing towards the school.
Victoria Falls Councillor for ward 10 Nkanyiso Sibindi said the speed at which the gully has been developing over the years is a serious danger to nearby infrastructure.
“It’s been growing for the past five years and we are appealing for help to fill the gully before houses, school and church are swept away due to erosion. With the way it’s been growing there could be tragedy in the next one or two years.
“People have also started dumping litter here and while we may understand that they are trying to fill up the gully, it is illegal to put waste here. Some have also put car wrecks to stop further erosion and all I can say is that we need strategies to mitigate this challenge and control the gully,” he said. – The Chronicle
