Hailstorms wreak havoc in Midlands Province
AT least 43 buildings were destroyed by hailstorms that hit the Midlands Province in the past few weeks, provincial administrator Mr Abiot Maronge has said.
In an interview, Mr Maronge said a report on the damage caused by hailstorms in parts of the Midlands Province, which include Kwekwe, Silobela and Zvishavane indicated that 43 houses and other buildings like granaries were destroyed.
“So, there is a dire need for the facilitation of reconstruction of some houses,” he said. “A few may need foodstuffs LEADERS of various church groups in the Midlands are organising a provincial prayer meeting where First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is expected to take part.
Organisers of the meeting said various churches will converge in Kwekwe next week and pray for the removal of sanctions, as well as among Zimbabweans for the betterment of the country’s economy
Addressing a stakeholders meeting in Kwekwe yesterday, Kwekwe District Assistant Administrator, Mr Clemence Muduma, said the Midlands Pastors Empowerment (MPE) has started preparing for the big day.
“We have started preparations for the provincial prayer meeting to be held next week in Kwekwe.
The First Lady will be the guest of honour and preparations for the event have already started,” he said.
Mr Muduma said people from all the eight districts will converge at Kwekwe Museum, the venue of the prayer meeting.
“We have activated our organising committees so that we step up preparations for the event,” he said.
“We want it to be a success. There has been a growing consensus from the Christian community to converge but generally the households are food secure.”
Mr Maronge said Chief Gobo of Silobela was one of the most affected after a hailstorm destroyed at least three houses and a granary at his homestead.
“However, the maize grain was not destroyed because of the concrete slab which was used to seal the top part of the granary,” he said.
“The four damaged structures will need asbestos and iron sheets.”
Mr Maronge said structures affected by the hailstorms were fragile and could easily succumb to strong winds.
He encouraged home owners to consider and pray for the nation,” he said.
Midlands Pastors Empowerment (MPE) Organising Secretary, Reverend Pardon Chingovo, said they were looking at organising similar events in all the country’s provinces.
“We will be praying for the country’s economy especially the removal of sanctions which are hurting our economy.
We approached the office of the First Lady and they have agreed to be part of this big initiative,” he said.
Mr Chingovo said the province also has its own unique challenges that the prayer will also target.
“We also intend to pray for the province in general in line with the Government’s thrust of devolution,” he said. “As a province we have unique challenges like murder through machete attacks so we want to pray for peace in our province and the nation at large.” erecting new and stronger structures.
Mr Maronge said a hailstorm destroyed a power line in Silobela, affecting operations at Exchange Irrigation Scheme, which is a source of livelihood for many villagers.
“Four poles where pulled down and ZETDC (Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company) has not come to rectify the problem,” he said. “What they have only done is to disconnect the lines to avoid another disaster due to electrocution.
“ZETDC is citing the fact that their truck to ferry the poles to the site is down, therefore they are unable to transport the poles to solve the problem.
“The entire community of ward 18 has been relying on ZINWA water from Exchange Irrigation Scheme, therefore since the hailstorm there has been no electricity to pump the water, as a result community and schools such as Gobo primary and Silobela high had a serious challenge of water.
“The problem was compounded by the fact that four boreholes are not functional; only one borehole is being used by the entire ward. There is need to urgently rehabilitate the four boreholes as the backup source of water for the community.” LANDLORDS in Senga and Nehosho suburbs in Gweru, who offer lodgings to Midlands State University (MSU) off-campus students, are now charging monthly rentals in United States dollars.
The move has been met with resistance from parents and guardians of the students who are accusing the accommodation owners of being greedy as they take advantage of the shortage of on-campus accommodation at MSU.
A survey by this publication showed that new accommodation prices now range from US$35 to US$75 per room when sharing.
Previously, the students were paying $75 in bond notes or eco-cash per head.
A room without a bed costs US$35, while that with a bed costs US$45 per head. Houses with extra luxuries like wifi, geyser and solar panels or a generator are ranging at US$55 per head.
Lessons at MSU commenced on Monday.
In an interview, Mrs Sharon Ndlovu from Bulawayo, who has a child doing first year, said she was shocked by the US dollars prices, a development she said was making higher learning expensive.
“Things have changed now, most landlords are demanding US dollar which is difficult to acquire,” she said. “The equivalent prices in bond notes are also way expensive, but there’s nothing we can do as we want accommodation.
“It is really different from using the on-campus accommodation as you can pay for accommodation later rather than off campus whereby you have to pay monthly.”
MSU director of public relations Mrs Mirirai Mawere said they were aware that accommodation was now expensive. She said as a measure to cushion the struggling parents, MSU had come up with a database of landlords who charge reasonable prices.
“We have off-campus sub wardens whose duty is to direct parents or students to cheap or affordable accommodation,” she said. “We want the best for the parents and their children.”