by RICHARD MUPONDE
DOZENS of villagers in Ngwala village in Huwana ward 8 in Bulilima district, Plumtree escaped death by a whisker after 12 houses curved in due to the incessant rains that pounded the area during the week.
The affected homesteads were mostly built using pole and dagga hence they could not withstand the prolonged wet weather conditions which saw most of the mud huts collapsing due to excessive moisture.
Families reportedly lost food items and small animals in the process.
Bulilima acting District Development Co-ordinator (DDC) Ones Zogara yesterday confirmed the trail of destruction caused by the rain.
No injuries or deaths were, however, reported.
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“There were no injuries nor deaths recorded. Most of the villagers are on drought relief programmes so it is most unlikely that they will face hunger,” Zogara said.
He suggested the relocation of the villagers from the floodplains as they perennially experience flooding which saw a lot of property being lost over the years.
“I think these people have to be relocated considering that their homesteads are in floodplains. Last time in 2017, they were affected by floods and there was a proposal to relocate them but I heard that they refused.”
In 2017, over 45 families were affected by floods and efforts to relocate them hit a snag after they told then District Administrator Ethel Moyo that they would not leave the area.
The villagers, who are close to Manzamnyama, Thekwane and Maitengwe rivers, were left homeless after their homes were swept away by floods early that year.
The Bulilima Civil Protection Unit managed to raise $348 000 to rebuild 29 houses that were destroyed by the floods.
The district is perennially hit by flash floods, in 2014 villagers in Ndolwane, Mbimba, Huwana, Khame and Madlambuzi were also affected by floods.
Five families in the district, which had their homesteads affected by floods, recently received tents which were donated by a local businessman.
The floods also hit Bulilima’s sister district, Mangwe with the worst affected areas being Brunapeg and Ingwizi area.