Hailstorms leave trail of destruction in Beitbridge 

Source: Hailstorms leave trail of destruction in Beitbridge -Newsday Zimbabwe

ABOUT 25 people, among them 12 children, were left homeless after a violent hail storm swept across parts of Beitbridge on Wednesday last week.

Several classroom blocks at Nuli School had their roofs blown away by the violent winds which caused other infrastructural damages at one of the oldest schools in the district.

Beitbridge district development co-ordinator Sikangezile Mafu said some of the affected families were left without food.

“On October 23 this year at around midnight, a hailstorm occurred at Luwade area in ward 7,” she said in her report.

“It affected seven homesteads, crops, gardens and the Mzingwane dip tank. It affected 25 people from seven families and 12 are children. Makaba Ndlovu homestead was the worst affected as he was left with no structure.”

Other villagers who were left homeless include Dzudzani Muleya, Dovhani Gidimela Muleya, Kepalotsoe Ndou, Godfrey Mbedzi and Richard Mashaba and their families.

Mafu’s communication in her capacity as the Department of Civil Protection chairperson of Beitbridge sought to source assistance from the donor community and the civil society.

Luwade is in the same area where a farmer lost 20 000 heads of cabbages, 10 000 plants of citrus, solar power panels and irrigation equipment to the hailstorm incident.

Beitbridge Rural District Council chairperson Oscar Chiromo said Nuli and Old Primary Schools were also damaged by the violent storms.

“From our visits, we have established that two teachers’ records, pupils’ textbooks, the administration block, computer laboratory, three keyboards, two classrooms blocks and electricity power lines at different places had been affected by the storms,” he said.

Chiromo also sent an SOS to rebuild destroyed infrastructure.

“Let’s work together with relevant authorities in restoring normal services in the affected area,” he said.

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