Communities affected by the recent heavy rains will soon be assisted as the Government is mobilising resources.
Some families had their homes damaged by the heavy rains and strong winds that started last Friday and ended Sunday, although moderate rains continued to fall in some parts of the country yesterday.
Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South, Mashonaland Central and Midlands provinces, recorded incidents of drowning, deaths of persons and livestock due to lightning, damage of infrastructure especially classroom blocks, houses, roads and bridges.
Large hectares of land were also affected, leaving crops damaged.
The Department of Civil Protection (DCP), a Government arm, is sourcing the resources and has also engaged various organisations, including Unicef and Save the Children, for the provision of temporary classroom tents to assist affected schools.
Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr Gabriel Masvora, said the DCP structures were seized with assessments and resource mobilisation to ensure timeous response to mitigate the impact of the rainfall-related hazards.
He said in Manicaland Province, one minor landslide along Nyanga-Ruwangwe Road, 10km from Troutbeck Hotel turn-off, was experienced.
In Nkayi district, Matabeleland North Province, one classroom block at Tohwe Secondary School had its roof partly blown off by strong winds.
Mr Masvora said following heavy rains experienced on January 8, in Ward 15, Shelton, Chinhoyi urban, 34 houses were flooded.
“The respective District Development Coordinator (DDC) arranged temporary shelter for the affected households at Shelton Primary School,” he said.
In Mashonaland East, a house was totally destroyed in Ward 6, Shandisai Pfungwa Village, in Marondera rural.
Twenty A1 farmers lost a combined 10ha of tobacco at Lilystock and Benton farms in Matepatepa, Bindura.
The farmers had no insurance for the crop.
“In Ward 2, another farmer lost a vehicle and a tobacco grading shed. The province reported that major tarred roads have developed potholes, that is, Harare-Bindura, so as other roads in Mazowe, Concession, Mvurwi, Glendale, Shamva and Mupfurudzi.
“Gravel roads in the lower Zambezi Valley of Mbire, Muzarabani and Mt Darwin, have not been spared,” said Mr Masvora. In Masvingo Province, a classroom block had its roof blown off by strong winds at Zihwa School in Ward 17, Chivi.
St Martins Primary School in Ward 16 had classroom blocks damaged by heavy rains and strong winds while in Ward 29, a two-roomed house was damaged.
In Ward 30, a private shop was also damaged by the rains.
Harare Metropolitan Province recorded normal rainfall and the DCP was continuously monitoring the situation, especially in Budiriro and Chitungwiza.
Mr Masvora said civil protection command centres at all levels remain activated for response and coordination.
He added that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development had since cleared debris from the minor landslide experienced in Nyanga. “All provinces and districts have identified possible evacuation centres,” he said.
The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) yesterday said it was expecting a reduction in heavy rainfall from the previous alert, but still anticipates moderate rains with localised downpours.
“A slight lull in the rainfall is probable, especially over the Southern parts of the country. The cloud band which was responsible for the considerable rainfall over the weekend has since weakened and moved eastward into Mozambique and beyond,” said the MSD. – The Herald
