Violent storm destroys schools, clinic From Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE The Beitbridge district Civil Protection Unit is appealing for assistance to repair two schools and a clinic in Chamnangana area that were destroyed by a thunderstorm last week. Speaking during a district CPU meeting yesterday, committee chairman Mr Peter Moyo described the situation in the area as terrible. The secondary school caters for 749 pupils while more than 800 attend the primary school. The rains that pounded the area lasted for two hours. The storm destroyed children’s end of year reports, text and exercise books. Two classroom blocks at the primary school had their roofs blown away. Mr Moyo said teachers and children at Kwalu Secondary School escaped death by a whisker after roofs of most classroom blocks were blown away by strong winds that accompanied the hailstorm. The storm also affected Zesa transformers, plunging areas like Zezani, Mpande, Kwalu and large parts of Beitbridge into darkness. "This incident is a sad disaster and as the district CPU we are working flat out to repair the damage. We are, however, appealing to all stakeholders to assist us with resources to repair both the primary and the secondary school. "We have since written to our superiors in Harare to assist us. The secondary school was extensively damaged with all its six classrooms’ roofs blown off while furniture and windows were damaged. "One of the churches under construction had part of its wall damaged by the hailstorm. The ceiling to one of the buildings at Chamnanga clinic was also damaged. "Anyone who would want to assist should contact the Beitbridge Rural District Council who will be co-ordinating the programme. "Our technical team is busy working on the bill of the funding that will be needed for repairing both the schools and the clinic. The community has since promised to work with anyone willing to assist them. "As the district civil protection committee we don’t have a fund for such eventualities hence we are calling on other development partners to assist us," he said. Mr Moyo said World Vision Limpopo Area Development chapter, Medicine Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) and the Organisation of International Migration had since pledged to assist the committee. He said well-wishers from across the country were welcome to assist. Beitbridge Constituency Senator Cde Tambudzani Mohadi visited the school yesterday. She appealed to non-governmental organisations to assist in repairing the schools and clinic as a matter of urgency. "This is an unfortunate incident and we are now appealing to other players to assist the school authorities to repair the damage to the schools and clinic," she said. published by the Herald 8 December 2010 www.herald.co.zw