Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A TOTAL of 777 people have been left homeless after flash floods hit Beitbridge town on Friday night. A majority of the flood victims slept on rooftops after the flash floods filled their houses with water up to waist level.
Vagrants and beggars who stay along a stream in Dulibadzimu suburb were forced to flee as the stream overflowed its banks.
The town received about 107 mm of rainfall on Friday – the highest in a single day in the last seven years.
The Meteorological Services Department predicts a similar storm will hit the town between Friday and Sunday night.
Chairperson of the local Civil Protection Unit (CPU) Kiliboni Ndou yesterday said the victims were from 76 houses near Dulibadzimu Bus Terminus, which has 225 households.
Ndou said the CPU was mobilising food, blankets and clothes for the homeless.
She said 492 adults and 285 children were affected.
“We’ve received an assortment of food items, clothes, text books, blankets and 660kg of rice from the Minister of State for National Security, Cde Kembo Mohadi, Beitbridge West constituency legislator Metrine Mudau, Lobels, churches, clearing companies and non-governmental organisations.
“We’ve also identified four areas where we will house them should the rains persist as a stop gap measure to avoid a repeat of last Friday.
“We’ve teams on standby waiting to take them to safe places” said Ndou.
She said the national CPU head office will tomorrow dispatch three engineers to augment the town council’s efforts to fix drainage issues.
She said tents have been pitched at Dulibadzimu clinic as alternative shelter for the flood victims.
Ndou said the CPU was monitoring the situation across the district though no other areas have been affected.
The town secretary, Loud Ramakgapola, said council had availed $73,000 to address drainage in the worst affected areas.
“We’re attending to the drainage system. A further $40,000 has been set aside for construction works along the Wamulala River, which also passes through the area between the stadium and the district hospital” he said.
Ramakgapola said besides destroying houses, the rains damaged roads, sewer reticulation systems, Dulibadzimu stadium and other social amenities.
He said the local authority would also supply the affected residents with food.