Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
HAILSTORMS and heavy rains damaged schools in Chipinge, Buhera and Nyanga, with the latest destruction reported after a storm swept through parts of Manicaland on Sunday, worsening concerns over classroom shortages and damaged school infrastructure.
At Mutovhoti Primary School in Chibuwe, Chipinge, strong winds blew off the roof of an Early Childhood Development (ECD) classroom, exposing the room to rain.
The latest damage follows hailstorms that destroyed classroom blocks at Chichichi and Ngaone Toti primary schools in the district, barely weeks ago, leaving learners without adequate learning space and damaging essential infrastructure, including solar power systems.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education chief director for education services in Manicaland, Mr Richard Gabaza, said Sunday’s storm affected more schools across the province, although the damage was less severe than what was recorded in October.
He said schools in the low-lying areas of Chipinge, Buhera and Nyanga suffered damage, with several institutions in Chipinge’s Chibuwe area among those affected.
“We have several schools in Chipinge’s lowveld areas, particularly around Chibuwe, which were affected. One school in Nyanga had the roofs of two blocks, each containing two classrooms, blown off. Some schools in the lowveld areas of Buhera were also affected.
“However, the extent of the damage at these schools is much less severe than what we witnessed at the schools affected in October. Chichichi and Ngaone Toti primary schools had their infrastructure severely damaged, including solar power systems that supported essential services such as borehole water supply and Wi-Fi,” he said.
Mr Gabaza said Chichichi Primary School lost two classroom blocks, each containing two classrooms, while Ngaone Toti Primary School lost two blocks, each containing four classrooms. Ngaone Toti also lost its solar power system, which supplied electricity for school operations.
The destruction disrupted services that depended on the system, including borehole water pumping and internet connectivity.
Mr Gabaza said the latest incidents highlighted the vulnerability of school infrastructure to severe weather, particularly in the lowveld areas.
The ministry has directed schools to establish and strengthen Disaster Risk Management and Disaster Risk Reduction programmes to prepare for weather-related emergencies.
“We have instructed our schools to have Disaster Risk Management and Disaster Risk Reduction programmes because we are aware that the country is experiencing a super El Niño and other climatic changes over which we have no control. These programmes will help the ministry and schools take proactive measures and prepare for how to respond when such incidents occur. We need our schools to be prepared rather than wait until damage has been caused before deciding what to do,” he said.
Mr Gabaza said Government is working to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure and restore safe learning environments.
He said school heads were instructed to assess the damage and submit detailed reports to the relevant authorities to facilitate rehabilitation.
“The school heads have been advised to draw up lists of damaged infrastructure and attach bills of quantities to narrative reports. These should be submitted to the provincial planning department, which is responsible for infrastructure rehabilitation, for onward submission to the national offices.
“The ministry is doing all it can to ensure that the affected classrooms are rehabilitated and that our learners return to their classrooms. Our priority is to make sure that children have safe spaces to learn from, despite the challenges posed by these weather conditions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) reported power outages in Chipinge’s Rimbi, Chibuwe, Tuzuka and surrounding areas on Sunday after electricity poles fell during the storm.
In a notice, the power utility attributed the outages to fallen poles, and said its teams were working to restore electricity supplies. The power outages have added to the difficulties facing communities in affected areas as severe weather continues to disrupt services.
Hailstorms batter rural schools
