Rains, heavy winds leave trail of destruction

THE Beitbridge Civil Protection Unit has been put on high alert after rains left a trail of destruction in the district.

Many buildings such as schools, churches and homesteads were left without roofs after they were blown away during the rains, an official has said.

Apart from the building, some roads were badly damaged and could be inaccessible if the rains continue pounding.

The local Civil Protection Unit chairperson, Mrs Kiliboni Ndou-Mbedzi, said they had already dispatched teams on the ground to assess the damage.

“We have received reports from Swereki area in Beitbridge West constituency where the roofs of three blocks at a primary school, a teacher’s cottage and a homestead were blown off.

“In Shashe (same constituency) a local church had its roof blown off by heavy winds between Sunday evening and Monday morning. We are also looking into the situation in Beitbridge East constituency where five homes in Kayansee (resettlement areas) were partially destroyed by the rains during the same night,” said Mrs Ndou-Mbedzi.

She said there was a need to mobilise resources to address the disaster. She added that they were in the midst of compiling a detailed report in relation to the situation on the ground.

“I am appealing to all the extension workers in our district to report incidents in their areas. Bringing to our attention all the incidents as and when they occur will enhance our rapid assessment and reaction. In addition it is important for us to consolidate a report which we send to the Civil Protection Unit (Headquarters) for mobilisation of funds,” she said.

Mrs Ndou-Mbedzi said they had intensified awareness to reduce the impact of the heavy rains in low-lying areas.

Some of the areas include Tshikwalakwala and Shashe, which are located near the Limpopo and Shashe rivers respectively.