Exclusive facility goes up in smoke

Trust Freddy

Herald correspondent

The grass-thatched Manna Resorts, located in one of Harare’s affluent suburbs, Glen Lorne, was gutted by fire yesterday afternoon.

It could not be immediately established what caused the fire, but sources said the facility could have been struck by lightning.

The fire devoured a number of thatched buildings and goods running into millions of dollars.

The resort had become a hit with businesspeople holding events, workshops and meetings.

It featured safari, lodging, corporate services, weddings, restaurant and bar, among other activities.

When The Herald visited the resort, the security guards were turning away clients and journalists while workers were trying to contain the fire.

Two fire brigade vehicles arrived at 3:36pm, almost an hour later, and at that point, the fire had already ravaged the place.

Guest rooms, the facility bar and conference room went down in flames.

The Herald was denied entry into the facility by top managers at the resort, who said they did not require publicity.

But a source at the premise, who is not allowed to speak to the media, said the fire started at around 2pm and within a few minutes, almost all structures with grass-thatched roofs had been burnt down.

“It happened this afternoon, we were just shocked to see smoke billowing from the building after a lightning bolt,” he said.

A terrified worker said he could not believe the venue had been destroyed by the fire.

He said the fire had caused massive damage and it would take long to resuscitate the place.

“It is just as good as starting from zero,” he said.

“The fire was spreading so quickly, giving people no chance to put it out. Conference venues have been reduced to ashes. It is saddening given the amount of investment put here.”

Another worker said he was afraid of losing his job given the magnitude of the damage.

“Nothing has been left, our future here as workers is now uncertain,” he said. “We might lose our jobs because it is just a small portion that has been spared.

“The lodge has been running smoothly since it was refurbished recently and we never anticipated this.”

Police were still on the ground carrying out investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire and the extent of damage.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi last night said details would be availed in due course.

The three-star hotel was one of many properties owned by the late Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe director Norman Mataruka, who died of Covid-19.