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The country has so far this cropping season received above normal rains in most areas and some of the dams are already spilling.

The incessant rains while good for the farmers and urban residents whose supply dams are fast filling up, have brought new challenges.

The country is recording a spike in drowning cases as people attempt to cross flooded rivers. Police’s sub aqua unit has been kept busy since the onset of the rains.

On Sunday, six people drowned after the vehicle they were travelling in was swept away as they attempted to cross a flooded Gweru River on their way to Silobela.

The people who were travelling in an Isuzu double cab attempted to cross the flooded river on a low-lying bridge along the Gweru-Matobo road when their vehicle which was towing a compressor, was swept away.

Some motorists were waiting at the bridge for the flood waters to subside when the driver of the vehicle which was swept away decided to cross the flooded river.

Members of the sub-aqua unit could not immediately attend to the Gweru drowning as they had been called to attend another drowning incident in Chivi, Masvingo province.

Last week, seven people were rescued by the Airforce of Zimbabwe after they were marooned at the confluence of Tokwe and Runde rivers in Chiredzi. Last month three people drowned when a pirate taxi they were travelling in was swept away by a flooded river in Zvishavane. The Toyota Noah had 10 people on board when it was swept away by Mutorahuku River.

The other six passengers and driver managed to swim to safety. The Civil Protection Unit has since the onset of the rains been urging members of the public to desist from crossing flooded rivers.

The unit’s educational campaigns are being complemented by companies such as Zimplats that are also running educational campaigns warning people against crossing flooded rivers.

What is worrying is that it seems the messages from CPU and the companies supporting it are falling on deaf ears as people continue to cross flooded rivers.

The people are unnecessarily putting their lives at risk instead of just waiting for the flood waters to subside.

We want at this juncture to implore members of the public to take seriously the CPU floods warnings. The motorists who attempt to cross flooded rivers are putting their lives and that of their passengers at risk.

Passengers on their part should refuse to be driven across flooded rivers.

There is no business or event worth dying for hence the need for travellers to be patient and wait for flood waters to subside before proceeding with their journey.

We want to once again call upon the CPU at all levels to step up campaigns to educate members of the public on the dangers of crossing flooded rivers.