Over 100 families have been evacuated after flash floods struck the Budiriro and Kuwadzana suburbs in Harare. The floods have forced residents to seek shelter in temporary accommodations. Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has called for immediate action and a comprehensive approach to tackle the city’s housing crisis.
During a press conference in Harare, Mayor Mafume revealed that approximately 100 families have taken refuge at Budiriro 3 Primary School, while six to seven families have sought shelter at Kuwadzana 2 Primary School. The Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has provided essential supplies such as dry food for the affected families. Mayor Mafume mentioned that once the necessary sanitary facilities are in place, the families will be relocated to a vocational centre, as the schools are scheduled to reopen soon. He added:
We encourage families that are in those areas to go to these areas. Should flooding occur in other areas we will work with CPU to provide places for them to take people. They have provided transport and food and we as council have provided meat.”
Some of the flooded areas were newly allocated council residential stands.
For those that were allocated land legally and it is within an area where you cannot construct we are going to give them alternative land.
For those that have gone and invaded land illegally. We are becoming uneasy as a council with the process of regularization of illegalities. We need to come up with a robust plan.
We need to come with a ministry of housing. We have a national housing crisis as a country and as a city.
Furthermore, Mayor Mafume emphasized the need to reduce the cost of building houses. He proposed exploring cheaper building materials and construction methods to bring down the cost of constructing a decent house to approximately US$5,000. By implementing lower building standards, he believes that affordable housing can be provided on a larger scale, ensuring that residents have access to decent homes.