Diana Nherera

CHITUNGWIZA Municipality today held a Disaster Risk Management workshop aimed at strengthening the local authority’s preparedness and response to emergencies.

Speaking in an interview at Utano Hall, where the workshop was held, Acting Chitungwiza Town Clerk Mr Japson Nemuseso said the training was important as the municipality faces various disasters that require effective preparedness and coordinated response.

“For example here in Chitungwiza we experience a lot of flooding. We have fire risks and a number of risks affecting residents,” he said.

“So we invited all stakeholders so that we could come up with Disaster Risk Management documentation that involves all stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Nemuseso said Chitungwiza Municipality wants to build a Chitungwiza that is inclusive of everyone.

He said the programme was facilitated by the Government. Mr Nemuseso said Chitungwiza has many illegal settlements, especially on wetlands.

He said some of the wetlands are in Zengeza. Mr Nemuseso said St Mary’s has a high risk of flooding since Chitungwiza is on flat land.

“So when it rains, water floods houses. The land is on low-lying ground. Areas at risk are Unit A, Pagomba and St Mary’s.”

Civil Protection Unit chair and acting Local Government director in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mrs Nyaradzo Tagarira, said there is a need to move with the times in terms of planning.

“We should move with the times in our planning. The main aim of this workshop is to do that, to review our plan. So this workshop is important to us,” she said.