LATEST: Seven drown in Gokwe

SEVEN people from Gokwe including two children recently drowned in Mudzongwe River in Mukwiri village under Chief Njelele in a space of three days, Midlands Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has confirmed. Four women from Mudzongwe village under Chief Njelele in Gokwe South drowned on Tuesday while trying to cross a flooded Mudzongwe River while another man from the same village drowned on the same day while coming from Gokwe town center where he had received his share of fertilizer under a national input support scheme.

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Jason Machaya confirmed the incident saying two other children from Mukwiri village had drowned on Sunday while their mother was working in the fields.

Cde Machaya said five people, three women and two men, from Bariwa village under Chief Njelele were Wednesday afternoon marooned while they were working in the fields following incessant rains.

“I can confirm that seven people have drowned in Mudzongwe River since Sunday following a heavy downpour that left the river flooding. Four women drowned on Tuesday while on their way to Gokwe town center while another man drowned while trying to cross the flooded river after receiving his fertilizer under the inputs support scheme. I am also informed that five people have also been marooned in Bariwa village and we have sent a helicopter to rescue them,” he said.

Cde Machaya said the Midlands CPU had secured food and clothes for more than 100 villagers under Chief Sayi in Gokwe South who were last week left homeless after close to 20 households were swept away by the incessant rains, while hundreds of livestock were also killed by floods that hit the area last week.

He said the food stuffs and clothes would be distributed to the flood victims on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Cde Machaya said the incessant rains had also left a trail of destruction in Zhombe where they washed away Mayoka Dam wall which was supplying water to a 70 hectare irrigation scheme.

“In Zhombe we have a dam wall which was also washed away following the incessant rains. The dam was irrigating more than 70 ha under Mayoka Irrigation Scheme. We are hoping that we continue having good rains so that the crop won’t be affected,” he said.

However, Cde Machaya said government was yet to carry out a full assessment of the damage so far.