Floods trap 1 000 Gwanda villagers

MORE than 1 000 people from about 200 homesteads in Sibhula village in Gwanda have clocked more than a month marooned due to flooded rivers, a development that has seen pupils failing to attend school.

The villagers have been restricted within their area as they still cannot not cross two flooded rivers, Hovi and Maleme in Gwanda North, denying them access to essential services.  About 200 homesteads in the area are located between the two rivers which have been overflowing for over a month.

The villagers cannot access shops, grinding mills and schools, among other service centres.  They are surviving on food hand-outs sent to them by a helicopter by the Civil Protection Unit.

In an interview yesterday Acting Gwanda District Administrator, Mr Judge Dube said the situation remains the same although the villagers have adequate food and medication.

"The situation on the rivers remains the same and the villagers are still trapped. They can't cross to the other side of the rivers for more than a month now.

We were there on Tuesday and we discovered that the rivers were still overflowing and it's risky crossing them. However, there is no risk of hunger as the villagers are still surviving on the mealie meal and rice we gave them. However, they can't access grinding mills and shops," said Mr Dube.

He said children have not been going to school.

"Pupils are not allowed to cross the rivers to school as it is still dangerous to do so. We are hoping that in the coming weeks the rivers will have subsided.

Other villagers are risking crossing the flooded rivers but we urge them to desist from that and stay calm until the situation returns to normal," he said.

Mr Dube said a medical team was in the area this week to assess the situation as there were 50 people on anti-retroviral therapy and 10 on tuberculosis treatment.

The two rivers that have restricted people's movement within Sibhula village were flooded as a result of a tropical storm that hit some parts of the country a few weeks ago, including Matabeleland South.