daniel chigunwe
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Rains accompanied by thunderstorms destroyed property worth thousands of dollars in the Lesanth resettlement area in Ward 13 of Beitbridge district on Tuesday evening.
Beitbridge District Civil Protection Unit chairperson Mrs Sikhangezile Mafu-Moyo-Mbedzi said yesterday that they have started assessing the full damage.
A hailstorm accompanied by strong winds left a trail of destruction at Lesanth Primary and many villages in the ward 13 which is located some 60km north of the Beitbridge Border Post.
The strong winds which lasted for 2 hours affected a section of the roof of the school and teachers’ and several buildings in the area. Mrs Mafu-Moyo said a team was still on the ground assessing the damages.
“We haven’t had any loss of human life and we await more details from our team which is already on the ground assessing the damages,” she said.
“After which they compile a bill of quantities for each damaged infrastructure and also make recommendations to ensure the repairs are carried out.
“We are also urging people to be vigilant as we get into the rainy season and follow the usual safety precaution procedures to save lives”.
A villager from Lesanth, Mr Tupeyo Mapololo said children had been turned away from the local school due to the bad state of affairs.
He said the teachers’ cottages had also been affected and appealed for urgent assistance to repair structural damages at the school.
Mr Mapololo said several homesteads, including his suffered some structural damages on the roofs, doors, and windows.
“The situation is bad. It was 2 hours of hail on Tuesday evening as we endured the disaster,” he said.
“Most homesteads were affected and our major worry is the damages at the primary school, where classes were suspended because we felt it was dangerous to have them in buildings with partially damaged roofs”.
He said community members were ready to work with any development agent to repair the damages at the school.
Another villager identified only as Mia Jossy said a vehicle that was parked near the house was also badly damaged by the debris from the roof.
“We have not heard about anyone who died or was injured during the incident but most homesteads were affected,” she said.
The Meteorological Service Department on Monday warned that there will be thunderstorms this week in some parts of the country as humid and hot conditions continue to be felt countrywide.
It said areas such as Plumtree, Kezi and West Nicholson in Matabeleland South recorded lower temperatures ranging between 20°C to 22°C, resulting in light rains.
According to the department, this was signifying the cloud band approaching from the south-west, which gave rise to brief cloudy periods and odd showers in Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North Provinces.
Online Reporter