Story by Farai Gwaze

THE capacity of the Harare City Council to deal with challenges confronting the capital city has come into question as the local authority is still battling fallen trees and blocked drainages, two days after the hailstorm which left a trail of destruction in the capital.

Concerns are being raised on whether the city council can manage the challenges bedevilling the city.

Despite having guaranteed that all fallen trees would be removed, the city fathers have failed to deliver even right in front of their doorstep.

Vehicles are meandering between tree stumps in the middle of the road as navigation continues to be a challenge, two days after heavy rains swept through the capital city.

“We can’t even walk in town without getting splashed by muddy waters and the council needs to fix this sooner. They are not organised,” said a Harare resident.

“This is not sustainable, how are we meant to drive in these conditions? The council is not serious,” said another Harare resident.

The local authority has no solution in sight with residents expected to face the challenge until the end of this month.

“As a council, we expect to have all trees done by the end of the day. Unfortunately, we will only be able to complete the drainage problem at the end of this month,” said Harare City Council spokesperson, Stanley Gama.

The Harare City Council is clearly struggling to manage the drainage system, with old trees and water pools still causing congestion, thus affecting driving on the roads.