adminHerald Correspondent
heavy rains that have been pounding Harare have exposed council again after the blocked drainage system flooded, posing danger to motorists and pedestrians. Council is blaming the situation on vendors and residents who throw litter into drains blocking them in the process.
Motorists are fuming over council’s lack of preparedness as evidenced by blocked drains in areas around Westgate Shopping Mall and along Second Street close to the South African embassy among others.
“It is shame that council is failing just to clear the drains. You wonder what they are really doing at town house,” fumed a motorist who was driving along Second Street yesterday. But in an interview with The Herald yesterday, the city’s Corporate Communications Manager Mr Michael Chideme said residents were letting down the city.
“We were fully prepared for the rainy season, but the clearance of the drainage systems is a continuous process. It is not an event because people litter every day,” he said.
“In the central business district in particular, we have the issue of vendors continuing to litter everywhere while at household level people are found at times sweeping or dumping trash into these drainage systems.”
Mr Chideme said there was need to have collaborative efforts between the council and residents if the issue of the problem was to be permanently addressed.
Council has failed to rid the CBD of vendors some of whom throw litter everywhere. Last year the municipality was again criticised by residents and motorists for failing to clear the drains. This was after heavy rains pounded the city and other parts of the country.
Online Reporter