Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
Bengo Primary School pupils in Gwanda South can finally heave a sigh of relief following the repair of the school roofing which was blown off during a thunderstorm late last year.
Pupils had been learning in the open for close to a year as a result of building material procurement challenges the Gwanda Rural District Council was facing.
Carpenters and builders to repair the roofing were drawn from the community as parents were determined to ensure the roof was repaired before the onset of the rains.
A number of schools in the district had their infrastructure damaged by rains last year.
Lumene, Nyambi and Makokwe primary schools as well as Ntalale High School are some of the schools that were also affected.
Gwanda RDC chief executive officer Mr Ranga Sibanda said materials needed for the repairs were worth about US$14 000.
“The roofing repairs have finally been completed. The community, through the School Development Committee came together to make sure the roofing was repaired. Commencement of the repairs were delayed because we had challenges procuring building materials but we eventually managed,” said Mr Sibanda.
He said the Gwanda RDC works closely with the community hence the sourcing of labour from locals.
“The community held a meeting about the repairs of the roofing. Usually we work with the community to mobilise locally available resources,” said Mr Sibanda.
The strong winds and heavy rains also affected St Anne’s Hospital and Tshelanyemba Mission Hospital.
Manama Mission Hospital is also undergoing repairs after infrastructure and buildings were extensively damaged by a violent storm last October.
Roofs of several wards that include the maternity ward were blown off following the heavy rains accompanied by strong winds.
The strong winds and heavy rains which hit the Manama area also left the hospital without electricity after solar panels were damaged forcing the hospital to suspend critical services. @Yolisswa
Online Reporter