Flood victims' tents swept away

After escaping floods at Tokwe-Mukosi, it seems trouble always follows the nearly 3 000 Tokwe-Mukosi flood victims who have to deal with a fresh crisis at Chingwizi holding camp in Mwenezi where they were relocated after their tents, food stuffs and property were damaged by floods following heavy rains that pounded the Nuanetsi ranch on Monday.

The relocated families were left counting the cost of incessant rains which soaked tents at the holding camp leaving the majority of them without shelter, food and blankets.

Every family receives a monthly food allocation and blankets among other items upon arrival at Chingwizi.

Nearly 1 700 families were on Monday pounded by heavy rains after spending the night under trees and makeshift plastic shacks at Chingwizi as they have not yet received tents for temporary shelter.

The tents ran out last week.

There are growing fears of disease outbreak at Chingwizi following the floods that also swept away temporary toilets at the camp.

Government today said it had deployed five teams, including those responsible for health and sanitation to Chingwizi to assess the situation after the heavy rains.

Chairperson of the Tokwe-Mukosi relocation co-ordinating committee and Masvingo provincial administrator  Mr Felix Chikovo said he was yet to get details on the full extent of the fresh crisis.

The government, NGOs and companies seem to have completely forgotten that Tsholotsho villagers too were badly affected by the floods.