Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
The Civil Protection Unit in Beitbridge are assessing rural wards following severe storms that hit the area leaving some families homeless.
So far those affected are from Wards 2, 5, 6 and 15.
The acting CPU chairperson, Mr Jahson Mugodzwa said no one died.
He said those affected were now sharing the few remaining huts while others sought shelter at neighbours’ houses.
“In ward 5 we received reports of five homesteads where some walls gave in as a result of the severe storms and in Ward 15 we have three homesteads that were destroyed.
“Two homesteads were affected in Wards 2 and 6 respectively and we expect to get more reports later in the week. At the same time we have activated our ward rapid response teams to be on high alert,” said Mr Mugodzwa.
When our news crew arrived in Ward 15 most of the victims had relocated to their relatives to seek shelter.
The road linking Lutumba Business Centre and Tshikwalakwala has become a nightmare for most motorists.
Ward 15 Councillor, Rueben Mbedzi said they were worried that some villagers might have challenges accessing water considering that some boreholes and protected wells were in streams which are now flooded.
“So far we have a challenge around the Makaphile area, where two protected wells are submerged in a stream in that area and people there have challenges accessing clean water.
Things can only get better after the rainy season. Our long term plan is to pool resources and drill boreholes outside streams to avoid the recurrence of such problems,” he said.
Assessment done in ward 5 Lutumba, revealed that the road linking the area and Tongwe Business centre has been badly damaged and is now inaccessible to motorists.
The local CPU has already made arrangements for people likely to be affected by floods or storms to be housed at selected churches and schools across the district.
Online Reporter