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Roselyne Sachiti Features Editor
When rains start falling, people, especially farmers and those in rural areas, celebrate. In many rural areas, most farmers immediately start planting in the fields, some of them a few kilometres from where they live.
In some parts of Gokwe in the country’s Midlands Province, rains bring sad memories and logistical challenges.

A bridge in the Tadzimirwa area under Chief Goredema was damaged by floods in 2000 and is still like a scar that just won’t heal.

Many seasons have come and gone, so have Members of Parliament who have promised to raise funds and have it repaired.

And yet, today, a bridge which was damaged 14 years ago, remains unrepaired and is the missing link to areas that include Nembudziya.

The situation is getting worse as people are cut off from other areas when rains fall.

They cannot access health services, education and cannot go to their fields whenever it rains and Kabanda River floods.

The rains remind them of the night Kabanda River became angry and burst its banks.

As recalled by villager Machona Dzumbunu, there were very little indication of an impending disaster that morning.

People did their daily chores, cattle grazed and children went to school.

To them the stony dust road was perfect. But, in moments the weather started changing rapidly, rain and then more rain fell resulting in floods.

Villagers took shelter in their homes.

But, it was not the case for most infrastructure. Roads and bridges were swept away.

Rivers burst their banks, bridges collapsed all in the darkness of the night.

When morning came, villagers were shocked.

There were no more bridges and roads were extensively damaged and muddy.

Kabanda River bridge was gone.

And 14 years after disaster struck, the bridge is still unrepaired. The roads are equally bad.

The heavy rains are back again and the villagers think God has cursed them.

“It was easy to access the damaged bridge before rains came but we can’t do that now.

“There are flash floods and landslides on the riverbanks,” says Dzumbunu.

The unrepaired bridge has stalled everything.

He says their children are afraid to go to school after two boys recently drowned.

Some villagers’ fields are across the river and they cannot tend them when the river is “angry”.

With that also came a cocktail of problems, chief among them women’s access to health.

Mrs Gaudenzia Chirinda says it is high time Government and their local MP did something about the bridge.

Pregnant women have serious problems when the river is full.

This is a malaria zone and some people die in their homes when they fail to access health facilities.

Life is hard for villagers.

“Most women end up giving birth at home because they cannot access the nearest clinics and hospitals. Pregnancy complications have killed some women who have no choice but to give birth at home,” she says.

Trymore Mudonhi of Mashami area said he had not been home in three days.

“I was coming from Mashami to Nembudziya when I found the bridge flooding. I went to Gokwe Centre and tried every route to Nembudziya but the roads and bridges have stalled me. I am going in circles. I have used up all the money I had on transport, the round trips are not for free,” he says.

He has put up in stranger’s homes for two nights. Today is his lucky day, the river has no water and he can cross. But he has to do it early as the heavy dark cloud hanging a few kilometres away may spoil his day.

To him, crossing this river is just as important as crossing the biblical River Jordan. It is a matter of life and death.

“If it rains up there, we will not be able to cross. There will be too much water. I have to do it now,” he says as he bids his hosts for two nights farewell.

He says he now pays US$5 more to get to his destination and does not have the money.

He wants Government to do something urgently. No more empty promises.

In fact, he wants them to repair the bridge and roads and is offering his free labour.

“I want to help repair the bridge and develop my area. We will help in every way. I am still single and hope to marry one day. I do not want my wife to face the challenges currently affecting many pregnant women,” he adds.

Tafirei Mupiringani, a commuter omnibus conductor, is also affected.

The commuter omnibus plies the CMB to Madondo and Mutora in Gokwe South.

Business has been badly affected. They are making huge losses. The bridge is a thorn.

“We usually charge US$7 when we ply the CMB to Mutora route. We only charge US$3 now as we end just before the broken bridge.

“If it has not rained, customers intending to go to Mutora will then risk their lives and cross the river and catch the next bus on the other side,” he says.

Mupiringani and his driver wait for commuters for periods of up to two hours.

He guards their car while the driver sits by the river banks looking for customers from the other side.

It is hard, but they sail through.

They also desperately want the bridge repaired.

They are not alone; most bridges damaged by floods, especially Cyclone Eline in 2000, remain unrepaired.

Rehabilitation of infrastructure has been non-existent.

Some bridges in areas like Muzarabani and Chiredzi have remained unrepaired since Cyclone Eline hit at the turn of the century.

For example, in 2000, 11 bridges were damaged by floods in Chiredzi, according to Reliefweb.

Desperate villagers in the rural communities of Chilonga and the surrounding areas risk their lives everyday as they cross the crocodile-infested Runde River using a low-lying bridge or on home-made boats to go to the nearest town of Chiredzi.

Twenty bridges were damaged in Zaka while 25 collapsed in Manicaland.

Matabeleland South had 51 damaged bridges.

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