10 Mat North schools destroyed by storm Gegema Primary School whose roof was damaged by a storm

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has sent an SOS to development partners after more than 10 schools were damaged by strong winds in Matabeleland North last week.

Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director Mr Jabulani Mpofu said his office will be visiting some of the damaged schools around the province tomorrow in the company of some partners to assess the extent of the damages.

This comes a few days before the second phase of reopening of schools when Grade Six, Form Three and Form Five Classes are set to return to class on Monday.

Government adopted a three-phased approach to schools reopening where public examination classes opened last month and the rest of classes are set to resume on November 9.

Mr Mpofu said the damaged schools are Nesigwe, Tsheli, Zidulini and Tohwe primary schools in Nkayi district and Emaphaneni, Sipepa, Nembe and Tshino primary schools in Tsholotsho.

The others are Lihlo and Gegema primary schools and Gogo, Mabhikwa and Gumede secondary schools in Lupane as well as Mosi-oa-Tunya High School and Jabula Primary in Victoria Falls.

Mr Mpofu said no one was injured.

“We are visiting some of the schools with partners and we will be going to Nkayi on Thursday to assess the extent of damage. But the reports we have so far are that most of the damage was on the roofs and will be fixed,” said Mr Mpofu.

In Lupane, four of the damaged learning institutions are council schools while Mabhikwa is a Government school.

Kusile Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Christopher Chuma said the District Civil Protection (CPU) had appealed to development partners for assistance.

“This is a hazard. Some of the roofs need complete replacement. We had a full council meeting where the resolution was to approach partners for help and the District Development Co-ordinator’s office has since sent a report to the CPU head office. Parents at Gumede have started repairing the roof but we are worried about its strength. We would want the whole block re-roofed for safety,” said Mr Chuma.

Last year, a seven-year-old boy died while his mother and sibling were injured after being hit by objects during a deadly storm at Komba Primary School in Lupane.

The storm destroyed seven classroom blocks and three teachers’ cottages as well as 21 homesteads in Gudubu Village.

Mr Mpofu said the school has since been renovated and fitted with water harvesting equipment while teachers and pupils received counselling to overcome the trauma of losing a colleague’s child.

Meanwhile, Mr Mpofu said schools had started receiving personal protective equipment (PPEs) ahead of the second phase of schools opening. — @ncubeleon

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