adminSukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
THE Bulilima Civil Protection Unit Committee has appealed to well-wishers to donate to families that were left homeless following a hailstorm that hit Bulilima District last Friday.
About 50 homesteads were destroyed by a hailstorm which hit Bambadzi area.
The hailstorm, which left many families in need of temporary shelter and food, also killed livestock.
Speaking during a meeting yesterday, Bulilima District Administrator, Mrs Ethel Moyo, said the committee was trying to mobilise resources for the affected families.
“We sampled 10 homesteads in Tjibudzanani Village which was the most affected area and concluded that the situation is a disaster and villages are in dire need of help. Families lost their food, clothing, homes and other valuables.
“When we arrived at the scene, the area was water logged. A number of dagga huts had collapsed while some brick houses had their roofs blown off.
Some of the affected are elderly people who live with their orphaned grandchildren while others are child-headed families. We were only able to access 10 homes but the headman of the area said about 50 homesteads were affected but we couldn’t reach them,’’ she said.
Mrs Moyo said a villager, Mr Cleopas Ncube, who has a family of 12 people, had his five huts destroyed by the rains. She said another villager, Mr Junior Nleya, lost four of his grass thatched huts and 12 goats.
Mrs Moyo said a child-headed family of eight had two huts destroyed while Ms Sofia Moyo who is an elderly villager lost five grass thatched huts.
“We are still compiling information on the extent of damage in the other homesteads as we failed to access them. The headman of the area and village head are in the process of compiling the information. We are still to get information on the number of livestock that died,’’ she said.
Mrs Moyo said the area experienced severe rains and most grass thatched huts collapsed because of flooding.
@DubeMatutu
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