Mudslides hit Chimanimani district

19 Feb, 2021 - 00:02 0 Views
Mudslides hit Chimanimani district Mudslides

The ManicaPost

Abel Zhakata

Senior Reporter

AT least 43 people were this week left homeless in Mutare and Odzi following heavy downpours being received that damaged houses, while landslides were reported in Chimanimani, thereby blocking roads and rendering some parts of the district inaccessible.

Manicaland provincial development coordinator, Mr Edgars Seenza, said District Civil Protection Units across the province are assessing the extent of the damages caused in their respective areas, adding that appropriate interventions will be executed.

He said the $10 million which was set aside by Government for disaster preparedness has since been distributed to all the eight districts in the province and are already being used.

“These heavy rains have on one hand brought hope for farmers and have also brought nightmares to some families who had their properties destroyed by strong winds, while those with houses built on wetlands experienced flooding. The $10 million fund set aside for disaster preparedness is being used to procure fuel, buy food hampers, medicines, tents and other remedies for the affected families. We are above the situation,” he said.

On Valentine’s Day, about nine families in Mutare’s Sakubva, Hobhouse and Chikanga had their houses destroyed by strong winds that blew off rooftops. The violent downpours uprooted trees that fell on nearby buildings, resulting in extensive damages.

At least two people were injured and there were taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital where they were treated and discharged.

Mr Seenza said the affected families were evacuated to Sakubva Beithall.

“They received food hampers and other necessities and Mutare City Council will soon repair their homes once the rain stops,” he said.

Mr Seenza said the rains also caused extensive damages valued at over $100 000 at Mutare Teachers’ College, where five buildings had their rooftops blown off.

The adjacent Mutare Probation Hostel was also damaged.

“This hostel (Mutare Probation) belongs to the Department of Social Development and it accommodates juvenile offenders for rehabilitation. The asbestos sheets are very old and dilapidated. The roof was blown off and there is need to urgently procure materials to renovate the roof before it collapses,” he said.

At Chirasika Primary School in Odzi, a total of 85 roofing sheets were blown off. Transau Secondary School was also damaged.

Chimanimani East legislator, Cde Joshua Sacco, said most parts of the district are inaccessible due to the incessant rains that have extensively damaged roads.

“It has been raining continuously for weeks and this has turned most roads muddy. The Chikukwa scenic route is inaccessible as well as the Kopa-Vimba and the Skyline routes,” he said.

Cde Sacco said most roads in the district need to be upgraded following years of battering by tropical cyclones that destroyed infrastructure, including bridges.

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