SIZINDA flats residents whose roofs were blown away by fierce winds last year following a freak storm, are appealing to the Bulawayo City Council to help them saying their properties were being damaged whenever it rains as the repaired roofs continue to leak.
LINDA CHINOBVA OWN CORRESPONDENT
About 22 households were left with no roof over their heads after the asbestos was torn off during fierce winds and lashing rain that struck some parts of Bulawayo leaving a trail of destruction in its wake in November last year.
Some residents told Southern Eye that although council repaired the roofs after last year’s damage, the job was haphazardly done as they continue to leak each time it rains and in most cases flood some homes.
“Soon after the disaster, council came and fixed the roofs, but it is as good as if they did not do anything because the roofs continue to leak damaging our properties.
“We have called them to come several times and they keep saying they will come, but it is unfortunate that while we are waiting for them more damage is being done on our properties,” a resident, Emmaculate Ndlovu, whose roof was among those destroyed by the strong winds during the storm said.
She said council needs to repair the roofs again because rain water always floods their homes.
Violet Mabetha said council has to priorities the issue at hand because whenever it rains, residents have to go through the strain of moving property to shield it from being destroyed.Some residents said council did not attend to every household whose roofs were blown off and they had to use plastics and planks to try and minimise the leakages.
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Seneleni Ndlovu, whose house was affected, said her roof was never attended to and she had since stopped using the affected room.
Others like Laiza Ngozo said they now squatted in one room because her three affected rooms still hadno roof.
“This situation is affecting us and we are now miserable as four people have to share one room because whenever it rains, the other three rooms are flooded,” Ngozo said.
The ward councillor for Sizinda, Reuben Matengu, said he was not aware of the problem and promised to address the issue with urgency.
“The city council came and fixed the roofs and unfortunately I was not aware that the houses were not properly repaired.
“I will go and assess the situation and then take the issue to the council so that they attend to this problem,” he said.
