Thousands defy government call to vacate homes

Thousands of residents in the flood-prone areas of Dar es Salaam’s lowlands have defied a government call that they evacuate their homes following the start of the long rains. The Tanzanian ‘Guardian’ newspaper reported on Tuesday that as the valley dwellers, soaking from weeks of heavy rainfall, braved the downpour, meteorologists warned that flooding in the lowlands was imminent. “The ongoing long rains are expected to last until May and I wouldn’t be surprised if floods hit the valleys as it happened during the El Nino rains,” the paper quoted the director-general of the National Meteorological Agency, Mohamed Mhita, as saying. Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Yusuf Makamba said the government may have to “forcibly” remove the residents for their own safety.