Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
DRIVING in and around Rangemore suburb has become a daily ordeal, as heavy rains — welcomed elsewhere for replenishing water supplies — have exposed deep infrastructure flaws in the sprawling settlement on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
Situated in Umguza District, Rangemore residents are grappling with flooded yards, impassable roads and mounting transport challenges.
While the downpours have brought relief to farmers and boosted water reserves, they have turned gravel roads into muddy quagmires, leaving some homes partially submerged and raising concerns over structural safety.
Rangemore is home to thousands of residents who commute daily to Bulawayo for work, business and tertiary studies, making reliable road access critical. However, persistent rains have forced commuter omnibus operators to abandon several routes, isolating parts of the suburb.
Mrs Mirirai Mawere, who works in the city centre, said residents are now walking long distances to access transport.
“We have no choice but to walk more than a kilometre to reach the main road because kombis have stopped using the muddy roads. We appreciate the rains, but Rangemore has no storm drains or tarred inter-suburb roads and whenever it rains, life becomes very difficult,” she said
Umguza RDC Ward 17 Councillor Garikai Godwill Mhazo, whose ward covers Rangemore up to West Acre along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road, acknowledged that the situation has deteriorated.
He said major roads linking Rangemore to suburbs such as Nkulumane and Emganwini fall under Umguza Rural District Council and are maintained by the local authority.
“However, smaller access roads leading to individual homes are still under the control of land developers or plot owners. Until these roads are formally handed over to Umguza RDC, there is little we can do,” said Clr Mhazo.
For residents like Mr Luckmore Ngulube, the rains have brought mixed fortunes.
“As a farmer, I am happy because I planted maize and groundnuts, and the rains are good,” he said. “But as a resident, the roads are destroyed and Umguza RDC is not doing enough to upgrade them.”
He added that the absence of storm-water drainage has worsened flooding, with many yards now holding stagnant water.
“We have no drainage system. The water has nowhere to go.”
The challenges in Rangemore are similar to problems in other parts of Bulawayo, notably Cowdray Park’s Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai section, where perennial flooding has forced the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to identify properties for demolition to pave way for a storm-water drainage system.
Some of the affected houses in Cowdray Park are more than 18 years old, sparking outrage among residents over compensation and inadequate communication.
Urban flooding is an escalating problem across Zimbabwe, driven by settlement expansion into wetlands and floodplains, as well as the growth of impervious surfaces that prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground.
In Bulawayo alone, the BCC estimates that the city has more than 2 400 kilometres of roads, much of which is now in urgent need of rehabilitation.
Absolutely disgusting! Look at Montgomery suburb too – by sames rural council too I believe! Years and years of total neglect on the top of badly built roads on top of clay