By Correspondent
Waterfalls is in the southern region of Harare and falls under Harare Ward 23 District.
The suburb was named after the rapids on the Mukuvisi River which flows through the Houghton Park-Parktown areas.
Some of its neighbourhoods include Ardbennie, Derbyshire, Grobbie Park, Houghton Park, Mainway Meadows, Midlands, Parktown, Prospect and Uplands.
However, don’t let the fancy names fool you for a moment because the area is now a derelict ancient hovel.
While there are pockets of class ensconced within the wreckage the abiding image is a faded ghost town.
Areas such as Meadows and Derbyshire still have class which however reinforce the pitiful state of other portions of the suburb.
Characterised by very huge yards many parts have become a burden to owners with little money to service them.
Old Money Gone
Walking around Waterfalls during the rainy season one is greeted by vast portions of maize fields and houses swallowed in the farming green.
Its a sign of the new type of owners now prevalent in the formerly affluent suburb, proletariat low-earners saddled by old houses.
In the Retreat area of Waterfalls sand poachers have left huge open pits that fill up with water during the rainy season.
Uncontrolled sand poaching in the area, which falls under Hunyani constituency, has become a persistent danger exposing residents to several dangers.
Legislator and Tourism and Hospitality Industry deputy minister Tongai Mnangagwa has promised a clean-up of the area.
“We are in the process of reclaiming the land that has been damaged by the illegal activities.
“Illegal poachers are digging and removing sand, leading to serious land degradation and water is accumulating in the open pits.
Its no coincidence that one of the most famous retreat areas, Zindoga, is situated in Waterfalls.
It’s a frenetic hive of low-cost fun very much in sync with the abject state of a fallen suburb.