Hailstorm destroys 3 schools in Gokwe

PUPILS and teachers at Dzire Primary School i n Gokwe South were left stranded after a hailstorm destroyed the roof of classroom blocks and teachers’ cottages.

Dzire Primary is the second school to have been affected by hailstorm and strong winds in Gokwe.

Nyamuroro Primary School had its roof, including trusses, blown away last month.

The District Administrator, Mr Edwin Mashindi, confirmed the incident which occurred last week, saying pupils and teachers were now conducting lessons in the open.

He said his office also received a report of another primary school under Chief Mukoka, which was also affected by the hailstorm.

“We have three schools in Gokwe that have so far been affected by hailstorms. First was Nyamuroro Primary and we also had the recent case of Dzire Primary where the school’s roof was blown off.

“Pupils from these schools are conducting lessons in the open and we are making frantic efforts to try and seek assistance from donors to repair roofs of the destroyed schools,” he said.

Mr Mashindi said there had been rains in Gokwe since Monday and most areas were now inaccessible.

“We have been receiving rains in Gokwe since Monday and some areas are already inaccessible. There is a school under Chief Mukoka that is said to have also been affected by the rains, but we cannot access the area at the moment due to heavy rains. The roads are bad now.

“To access other areas, one has to go to Kwekwe and then go via Bulawayo. This is the scenario in Gokwe every rainy season,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Mashindi said villagers in remote parts of the district that were not easily accessible during the rainy season were provided with food under the Government’s food relief programme.

He said the programme was rolled out before the rains commenced.

“We have areas, like Kana under Chief Mukoka and the area under Chief Sari. We gave such areas first preference both on t he Presidential Inputs Scheme and the food relief programme. They already have the inputs and food portions to take them through the whole season,” he said.