Bodies retrieved as 7-tonne truck is swept away

Sunday News Reporters
THE Police Sub Aqua Unit and the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) yesterday retrieved the bodies of a teacher and a villager who drowned after a truck they were travelling in was swept away by a flooded river in Lupane District on Thursday evening.

Police have identified the victims as Mr Trinity Jubane (29) an IsiNdebele and Art teacher at Zwangendaba Secondary School and a villager Mr Justice Moyo (43). Both are from Mafinyela Village under Chief Mabhikwa in Lupane.

The two drowned when the truck they were travelling in, which was coming from delivering drought relief food in Daluka, was swept away when the driver hit side pillars of the flooded Bubi River Bridge and the vehicle fell into water.

Nine others who were on board survived with minor injuries. They were treated and discharged at St Luke’s Hospital, authorities said.

The police Sub Aqua Unit arrived at the scene-the bridge that connects Daluka Ward 19 to St Luke’s late on Friday afternoon to start a search that lasted 24 hours to locate the bodies which were found about 500 metres downstream.

Acting Lupane District Administrator, who is chairman of the local CPU Mr Zachariah Jusa confirmed the retrieval of the bodies and identification of the victims yesterday.

“We have managed to retrieve the bodies of Trinity Jubane and Justin Moyo. The bodies were found roughly a kilometre from the scene. We suspected the bodies could have been under the truck but were found further downstream after the tide pushed them. Jubane was a teacher at Zwangendaba while Moyo was a local villager,” said Mr Jusa.

He added; “We have conscientised the community on the dangers of crossing flooded rivers. Even motorists should desist from crossing rivers even if they would have crossed earlier but should rather seek accommodation from identifiable local leadership such as chiefs, church leaders and councillors.”

Mr Jusa also urged communities to desist from paying people who offer to help them cross flooded rivers, adding that an assessment was underway to establish how schools have been affected in the area. He also discouraged river bank cultivation which he said disturbs free flow of rivers and affect downstream.

“Communities that require services across rivers should approach their local leadership like councillors, MPs, DAs and traditional leaders so that alternative measures can be put in place than to cross rivers. We are still trying to assess the situation and have tasked the District Schools Inspector to compile report about affected schools and pupils and we expect these details Monday (tomorrow).

However, we are grateful to the way the community worked together on this particular incident and want to encourage everyone to go back to old ways of monitoring children where anyone can chastise them whenever they play with danger such as water bodies,” added Mr Jusa.

Lupane East representative in the National Assembly Cde Sithembile Gumbo said due to floods, people were now using alternative roads from Daluka to St Lukes via Jotsholo as even Shangani River is flooded thereby cutting off communities across the river.

“Shangani River is also flooded and people are now using alternative roads via Jotsholo which is far. As leaders we are urging people to monitor kids and make sure they don’t go to school when rivers are flooded. Last week we buried a kid from the same school who was struck by lightning and that’s really a cause for concern,” she said.

Cde Gumbo said the current state of roads coupled with flooding have been declared a state of emergency by Government hence the need for collaborative efforts from all departments.

Pupils attending school at Komba, Phumakanye, Madojwa, Daluka and Zwangendaba as well as Regina Mundi are reportedly not going to school because of the floods. The bridge on Mbembesi River leading to Regina Mundi, Catholice boarding school and Tsholotsho from Lupane is reportedly blocked by boulders that the river deposited.

Hwange and Binga districts are reportedly safer although farmers are now concerned about water logging of their their fields.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango confirmed having received reports of school children in the province who could not attend classes due to floods. Dr Utete-Msango said she was waiting for a detailed report from the provincial education director on the extent to which the floods have affected school attendance by children from the area. She said the report will be presented before Cabinet for recommendations.

“I got a report but it does not have specific details on which schools and how many children have been affected. So I’m still waiting for a detailed report with proper statistics which I will forward to the Minister who will take it to Cabinet,” she said.

Meanwhile, flood-prone Tsholothso district is on high alert for possible flooding following incessant rains the country has been receiving, an official has said.

Low-lying areas such as Tsholotsho and Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central are prone to flooding when there is too much rainfall. Some of the most affected parts of Tsholotsho in the previous years include Nkwizhu, Mahlaba, Mathupula, Tshino, Sipepa and Mahlabangubo.

In 2014, four people including a three-year-old baby were hospitalised after being injured when floods destroyed more than 20 huts in the district.

In an interview last week, Tsholotsho Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Themba Moyo said they have, however, embarked on massive programmes to sensitise people on the possible effects of the floods.

Mr Moyo said those who were at high risk were families living near Gwayi River.

“People who are likely to be affected are those who stay along the Gwayi river, but we have told some of them to vacate.”

The district has, however, not reported cases of people affected by the floods this season.

“We haven’t received any cases of flooding, neither have people made reports of homes been swept away. We are monitoring the situation closely, we also urge communities to consult council when pegging homes or fields,” said Mr Moyo.

Civil Protection Unit deputy director Mrs Sibusisiwe Ndlovu said people should avoid areas along rivers and gold panning along the rivers.