Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Zimpapers Reporter
THE death toll from rain-induced incidents during the current 2025/26 season has risen from the last reported figure of 61 to 70, according to the Department of Civil Protection Unit.
The department said 1 043 homesteads have also been damaged during the period.
Most deaths were recorded in Manicaland where 31 people died, followed by Mashonaland West with 19 deaths while 13 people have lost their lives in Midlands. The death toll figure includes a Chinese national who was struck by lightning in Shurugwi.
Manicaland also tops the number of damaged or destroyed households at 510, followed by Mashonaland East at 192.
Ahead of schools opening on Tuesday, Masvingo Province has seven damaged schools while in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and Midlands six schools have so far been affected, one more than the number affected in Matabeleland South.
“On January 4 at approximately 14:00 hours, a Chinese national was fatally struck by lightning during a heavy thunderstorm at Camberdown Mine in Shurugwi.
“Although he was rushed to Impali Private Clinic for emergency care, he was pronounced dead on arrival. Relevant authorities have been notified and investigations are underway,” reads the report.
The report said in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South, a seven-month-old baby miraculously survived death after their bedroom hut collapsed while she was sleeping inside on January 2.
Remarkably, a falling suitcase shielded the baby from injury as the walls caved in.
According to the report, heavy rains triggered flooding in Mbare’s Dumbujena Street and New Canaan Highfields, prompting distressed calls to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
“A site visit on 5 January revealed that over 10 houses in Dumbujena Street, each sheltering seven to 10 residents were inundated, with water seeping from underground cracks and mixing with sewage, creating serious health risks,” said CPU in their latest report.
The flooding was attributed to poor drainage, sewer blockages and structural interference from the Sunshine Bazaar along Simon Mazorodze Road, which disrupted natural water flow. An engineer further explained that excessive rainfall had raised the water table and saturated the ground, exacerbating the situation.
“Although residents had cleared their homes by the time of inspection, they warned that the flooding would recur with continued rains, underscoring the urgent need for drainage improvements and long-term mitigation planning,” reads the report.
Over the past weekend, 135 small-scale farmers in Kwite East Village, Mangwe District, Matabeleland South Province, lost their crops after violent rains destroyed fields spanning nearly 200 hectares
During the same weekend of destructive rainfall, a villager from Ward Four in the district lost two cows and his homestead after it was struck by lightning.
Zimbabwe traditionally experiences its peak rainfall period between December and February, with low-lying and semi-arid regions particularly prone to flash floods, dam spillages, and river overflows. Over the years, flooding has remained one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in rural areas, often worsened by unsafe river crossings and settlements located downstream of major dams. The report noted that the Meteorological Services Department had issued warnings of widespread rains during the festive season, while the Zimbabwe National Water Authority indicated that several major dams were full or nearing capacity following above-normal rainfall across many catchment areas.
As of 31 December, Manyuchi, Zhovhe, and Silalabuhwa dams were 100 percent full, while Tugwi Mukosi Dam was at 99,8 percent capacity.
Authorities have warned that continued rainfall has resulted in dam spillages and breaches in some districts, posing serious risks to communities living downstream.
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