Lloyd Mbiba
EIGHT months later on, flood marooned Binga villagers are living in tents and surviving from donations, a development that has affected them socially, economically and morally.
An investigation by The Zambezi Times this week unearthed that hundreds of Binga villagers who lost their homesteads and livestock are still living in tents, as the government has failed to provide them with alternative accommodation.
Some of the tents are now worn out and dilapidated forcing villagers to go back to their area and set up huts.
Sadly, the villagers are now busy rebuilding their demolished houses. They are cutting trees and molding mud bricks a development that is likely to expose them to future droughts.
Floods hit Binga this year on February 14 in a village called Nsungwaale under chief Sinakoma. The village is about 40 kilometres away from Binga Centre.
Villagers who spoke to this publication accused government of failing them.
“Honestly, we are living like animals. There are no toilets. We cannot farm and all we do is to rely on donations. Since February we have been here and we are approaching another February and nothing has been done to resolve our situation,” said Mthokizisi Ndlovu.
“The government has forgotten us and now that it is rainy season we are apprehensive as the tents are vulnerable to rainfall.”
One villager who refused to be named accused government and council officials of looting donations.
“Soon after the floods we saw relatives of senior council officials putting on t-shirts that were meant for us. Some people have looted what was donated to us. This is Zimbabwe and this is how things are. What can one do when he does not have a homestead,” said the villager.
Joseph Muzamba, Binga Rural District Council chief executive officer flatly refused to comment over the matter.
“Please refer the questions to the DDC (District Development Coordinator) who is the chairman of the civil protection and is better placed to provide updates,” said Muzamba.
However, Binga’s DDC, Farai Marinyame declined to comment.
Although he unconsciously declared that this a tricky matter.
“This is a tricky matter and I am in a meeting. Can you call me after lunch,” said Marinyame over a phone interview on Monday.
After lunch he was no longer picking up his phone.
Messages sent to his WhasApp handle only blue ticked but no response was availed.
But, recalled Binga North legislator, Prince Dubeko Sibanda said the floods left the villagers poor and the government has failed them.
Said Sibanda: “With regards to those villagers that were affected by flooding early this year l would like to say currently the situation remains the same as it was few days after the floods.”
He added: “Nothing has really changed and what has changed is that the floods in a long term have permanently changed the lives of those people. Where they used to have homes and suddenly they have to start afresh and put up some structures.”
Sibanda said it was unfortunate that the villagers have become poorer because of the flooding.
“Those who were supposed to mitigate the situation have not come in a very significant way. We are grateful to a lot of churches and individuals who were have been donation foodstuffs, clothing, and blankets.”
“But what I am saying is right now they are forgotten. Their issue was topical immediately after the floods but now everyone has gone back to normal life. Government set up tents but look now as I said temporary solutions are not what is required.
“What is required is permanent solutions and permanent solution was to identify a place, a high lying area and put up permanent structures in those areas so that they can build their homestead,” Sibanda said.
Sibanda further said the villagers’ situation will be dire during the rainy season.
“Looking at the current season we are approaching number one is to provide agricultural inputs, to be able to prepare for this rainy season which we hope will not come with flooding again. If it does it will be a disaster after another so agriculture inputs will go a long way to prepare them so that they become self-sufficient,” he said.
“Interventions in terms of shelter still is important and those that don’t have birth certificates and identification documents which were damaged by the floods have they been replaced,” asked the former legislator.
