admin
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
OVER 100 families were rendered homeless in Zimunya after a hailstorm left a trail of destruction in the area on Sunday night.
Mutare District Development Coordinator Mr Wilson Boore said 79 families from Wards 20 and 34 had roofs of their houses blown off and walls destroyed.
He, however, said councillors and traditional leaders from other wards were still compiling the numbers of those affected.
“We are yet to get the finer details regarding the property that was destroyed by the hailstorm, but it was a lot. We are still making follow-ups with our councillors because we have more wards that were affected by the hailstorm,” he said.
Property was destroyed as the hailstorm blew through clinics and schools in Munyarari, Jaricha and Revesai among other villages.
Also destroyed were Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) poles and wires.
“Munyarari Clinic was heavily affected as the whole clinic block comprising six rooms was destroyed. The roofs were blown off from the dispensary, labour, vaccination, consultation and observation rooms, leaving the clinic inaccessible,” said Mr Boore.
He said medication from the dispensary was blown away by the hailstorm and the few remaining drugs had to be taken to Chiringaodzi Clinic for safekeeping.
Mr Boore said Munyarari Primary and Chinyauhera Secondary schools were the worst affected.
School blocks and teachers’ houses were not spared, leaving teachers stranded.
“The bulk party of their property was also destroyed,” he said.
Mr Boore added that the Government was assisting the affected villagers.
Said Mr Boore: “We have already made a report to the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) and they are working on the matter.
“We, however, are also sharing this predicament with our development partners so that they can also come on board in terms of assisting because most families lost their foodstuffs during the incident,” he said.
Manicaland Provincial Education Director, Mr Edward Shumba, said his ministry had not yet assessed the damage on the two affected schools.
He, however, said Government would see to it that the pupils from the affected schools would write their ZIMSEC examinations this year.
“No child will be left behind in terms of going to school or writing their exams. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will ensure that the children at the affected schools sit for their ZIMSEC examinations.
“We have not yet assessed the damage to decide on whether they will sit for their exams at those schools or will transferred to other schools, but measures that are favourable to the children getting their right to education will be put in place,” he said.
Online Reporter