Harare Residents Blast City Council as Flooded Streets Highlight Drainage Failures

Heavy rains that swept through Harare on Monday once again exposed the city’s long-standing drainage problems, sparking fresh outrage from residents who accuse the Harare City Council of persistent neglect.

In several suburbs, roads quickly turned into streams as clogged drains failed to channel away stormwater. Commuters and homeowners said the flooding has become an annual ordeal—one they believe could be prevented with proper maintenance.

Residents who spoke to this publication expressed anger over the situation.

“Council needs to act. People can’t even walk on pavements or cross the streets,” one resident complained. “They shouldn’t prioritise chasing vendors and kombis while ignoring basic service delivery. It feels like the council is asleep on the job.”

Transport operators also voiced concern, saying the flooded areas were keeping passengers away.

“As transporters, we are affected because our clients can’t cross the waterlogged sections to reach the ranks,” said Harare Youth Transporters Association chairperson, Edmore Gwengwe. “We pay council every day, yet our kombis can go for almost two hours without loading because people can’t access the place due to poor infrastructure.”

Despite repeated appeals from residents and operators, the council has yet to take meaningful action, with earlier promises of intervention going unfulfilled.

The latest flooding comes as Harare City Council struggles with mounting service delivery challenges, including worsening waste management issues.