Heavy rains wreak havoc in Bulawayo

HEAVY rains pounded Bulawayo on Thursday evening, leaving a trail of destruction as several houses were damaged and key infrastructure affected.

Bulawayo chief fire officer Mhlangano Moyo told Southern Eye that a number of homes in Cowdray Park were hit hard by the storm, including infrastructure belonging to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC).

"There was a trail of disaster following a heavy downpour witnessed in Sigodweni area," Moyo said.

"There is total disaster at several houses, where roofs and trusses were literally blown off during the storm."

He said bricks collapsed from some structures, while a fallen power line damaged roofing sheets at one property.

"The wind blew off about 10 asbestos roofing sheets and the ridges of the roof were blown off by the wind.

"We ended up suspending some operations since it was becoming dark, but we will continue to provide temporary cover."

Moyo urged residents and builders to prioritise proper workmanship when constructing houses to minimise damage during extreme weather events.

Ward 15 councillor Ashton Mhlanga said the rains, accompanied by strong winds, uprooted trees and destroyed several tuckshops across the ward.

"Some trees along the roads had their roots uprooted, which led to the trees blocking the roads. Zesa poles were also affected and we have no power supply since then," he said.

Mhlanga noted that most of the affected houses were built under the government-assisted Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle programme.

"There was no servicing done, some of them were built in low-lying areas.

"As we speak, there are 18 houses that have been affected by this problem for many years.

"The affected families need to be relocated to a better place."

He said although land has been identified near a TM supermarket for relocation, the validation process was taking too long, prolonging the suffering of affected families who are forced to replace damaged property repeatedly.

Other suburbs, including Mzilikazi and Queens Park, also reported power outages following the storm.

Efforts to get a comment from Zesa western region general manager Shepherd Dadi were unsuccessful as his phone went unanswered.