Tinotenda Hove – The City of Harare has blamed vendors for the severe flooding in the capital on Monday, saying their careless disposal of waste into drainage systems blocked drains and left streets under water.

Large sections of the central business district and surrounding suburbs were transformed into waterlogged streams as blocked drains failed to cope with the intense runoff.

In a statement on Tuesday, 18 November, the City of Harare said its teams were working around the clock to clear and unblock drains across the city.

The council said some of the flooding was a direct result of litter and waste being dumped into the drainage network by informal traders and members of the public. The local authority stated:
“Following the drainage challenges after heavy rains hit Harare yesterday, the City of Harare would like to assure residents that we are working on rectifying the challenges experienced on some streets.”

The city added: “It should be noted that the City of Harare has been working on the drainage systems for the past few months.”

However, officials stressed that irresponsible waste disposal remains a major obstacle. “From areas we worked on yesterday and today, it is evident that we still have people and vendors who dump rubbish in our drainage systems.”

The city urged residents to change their behaviour. “We urge residents to dump rubbish in bins and desist from throwing litter into our drainage systems.”

According to the municipality, the heavy rains also exposed specific drainage weaknesses that need urgent attention. “The heavy rains yesterday also helped us identify problem areas which our teams are currently working on.”

The City of Harare says restoration work is ongoing, but insists the long-term solution requires both municipal effort and public cooperation.