Flood floods threaten lives in Gwanda

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By Jonah B Moyo

Gwanda town was hit by flash floods earlier this week after heavy rains, accompanied by hail, swept through the area, damaging houses and causing widespread disruption.

Some houses were flooded with water and some roofs where ripped off leaving residents in fear of their lives and property.

Five families were left homeless after their rooftops were ripped off, leaving their homes exposed to the elements with water pouring in and damaging their belongings, including food.

The Gwanda Municipality swiftly responded to the emergency, rescuing residents trapped by floodwaters after durawalls collapsed and water inundated homes and yards.

One of the victims, Isiah Ngwenya from Spitzkop, lost his home when the roof of his room was ripped off during the heavy rain.

“The heavy rain ripped off our roof, leaving us exposed to the rainfall. With two rooms directly hit, we were forced to huddle together in the sitting room for the night. It was a harrowing experience, never knowing what would happen next.

“As water poured into the house, we were shocked and dismayed. The sudden flooding was unexpected, and we had thought it would be just another typical rainy day,” he said.

The storm caught Gwanda residents off guard, with many claiming it was the worst rainfall the town had seen in years. Some long-time residents said they had never experienced such heavy flooding since moving to the area.

“I have lived in Gwanda for over 10 years, but I have never seen rainfall like this. It was overwhelming. I knew we were prone to flooding in First Avenue, but not in the townships. This experience has taught us a lesson, we need to build stronger homes that can withstand such storms,” Sanelisiwe Nyoni said.

She also emphasised the need for improved drainage systems to mitigate future flooding issues.

“We witnessed water flowing everywhere, which caused it to run through homes as it followed the natural slope of the land. To prevent such incidents in the future, we urge the Gwanda Municipality to fix the drainage system, allowing water to flow directly to the river rather than into homes,” she said.

Gwanda District Disaster Risk Reduction Focal Person Awakhiwe Moyo said 5 families were left homeless.

“The Civil Protection Committee, in collaboration with the Mayor’s office, assessed the damage in the affected areas and we discovered that 5 families were left completely homeless after their rooftops were blown away and their homes were flooded. Fortunately, they were able to find alternative accommodation for the night,” Moyo said.

The committee swiftly mobilised to provide emergency assistance to the affected families.

“We approached our Member of Parliament, Fisani Moyo for Gwanda Tshitaudze, to request assistance in securing accommodation for the affected families. He kindly responded by providing groceries, as the food had been contaminated by floodwater. Additionally, he pledged to support four families by installing window panes and doors in their temporary accommodations,” he said.

“The flash flooding is a result of poor drainage systems and there are no casualties that have been recorded,” Moyo said.

Moyo noted that comprehensive technical reports, including Bills of Quantities (BOQs), are forthcoming to assess the full extent of the damage and associated costs.