The Zambezi regional council is preparing for floods as the level of the Zambezi River continues to rise. In fact, several villages have already been cut off from basic services as vehicles can no longer access these areas due to the heavy rain that fell over the past months.

By Friday, the Zambezi River stood at 4.05 metres (m), compared to the same period last year when it rose to 2.14m.

In an interview with New Era yesterday, Zambezi governor Lawrence Sampofu confirmed that flood-prone areas are no longer accessible by vehicle due to high levels of water.

“The Zambezi River is rising very fast. The education directorate has started preparing itself for any eventuality. We are expecting some early floods if the river continues to rise. We are expecting some floods by March if it’s not slowing down,” he warned.

The villages cut off, which are in the epicentre of the flood zone, are Nankuntwe, Muzii, Mpukano and Namiyundu. 

Sampofu said those villagers cannot reach healthcare facilities and other basic services they may require. The only available option to reach services is to use boats and dug-out canoes via the river, which is also dangerous as there are hippos, deadly snakes and crocodiles.

Although no school has been closed due to floods yet, he said the regional council is hard at work preparing for tents if schools are to be totally cut off by floods.

“If schools are surrounded by water or water enters the school grounds, it means we have to relocate or close the schools. Parents are always reluctant to relocate to higher ground. They are using dug-out canoes to transport their children to school. We don’t want to lose any lives. We should not leave small children to paddle to school on their own. It’s best if parents escort them,” he urged.

Sampofu also advised livestock farmers to move their animals to higher grounds before the situation gets out of hand.

– anakale@nepc.com.na