BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) recently revisited its June 2022 resolution in which the local authority had resolved to relocate 17 residents whose houses were built in an area prone to repeated flash floods during rainy seasons.
The new developments are revealed in the council’s latest report on measures to alleviate flooding in Cowdray Park Hlalani Kuhle area segment 11 and 12.
The report states that council’s works department reported last month that: “The council of June 1, 2022 had resolved that beneficiaries of stand numbers 18666, 18667, 18668, 18712, 18853, 18852, 20143, 20144, 20145, 20113 20074, 20060, 20061, 20062, 20063, 19837 and 19807 to be relocated to allow for the construction of the proposed storm water drainage that would help alleviate flooding in the area.”
Indications are that this is yet to be done and a detailed assessment has been carried out by an inter-departmental committee of Engineering, and Town Planning departments which concluded that the best possible route for the drain was within the aforementioned stands.
“A detailed drainage design had been produced,” the report reads.
“The first stage would be the evaluation of the development on the affected stands.
“The evaluation process was yet to commence.”
The council is navigating measures on how to effect its resolution amid fears of costs associated with the relocation of the houses occupants together with the construction of the drainage system.
- Uproar over census figures
- Byo Arts Festival in turmoil…One year later, festival has yet to pay artists…Organisers play cat and mouse with artists
- Bulawayo struggles to clear housing backlog
- Council acts tough on debts
Keep Reading
Meanwhile, the Housing and Community Services department reported last month that it had processed a total of 264 building plans in the month of January 2025.
“Of these, 172 building plans with a value of US$3 869 777 were approved, while 92 were referred back for corrections. There was an increase of 10.26 % on approved plans compared to the total approved in December 2024,” reads the report.
“A total of 170 building plans with a value of US$3 061 757 were submitted in January 2025, a decrease of 8,6% compared to last month’s figure.
“A possible total of US$30617.57 was therefore raised from plan submissions as plan submission fees.”
The report states that a total of 1199 inspections were carried out in January 2025.
“From these inspections, 55 buildings were issued with occupation certificates, 11 dilapidated buildings were captured and 38 public buildings were assessed,” the report further read.
“A possible total of US$11 146,45 was raised from building inspections and other building control activities captured in this report.”
