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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A HAILSTORM left a trail of destruction in Ntoli and Huwana Villages, Bulilima District where homesteads, schools and shops were severely damaged. Villagers who spoke to Chronicle during a visit by the District’s Civil Protection Committee yesterday said the incident occurred on Wednesday around 2pm.Tapson Ncube described the incident as a horrific experience which had left him helpless.

He said he had to watch in despair as the walls of his house crumbled.

“I was alone when the hailstorm hit the area. At first I could hear a soft wind and small drops of rain on the rooftop while I was taking a nap,” said Ncube.

He added: “The wind later became fierce and before I knew it the roof of my house was blown off. The wall collapsed and some of the bricks hit me on the back but I was lucky to escape unharmed.”

Ncube said he struggled to find his way out of the house and was shocked to find his kitchen flooded with water. “I was left helpless as I watched my house being flooded with water but there was nothing I could do. The hailstorm was pounding my property and damaging everything in the house in the process.

“I fled to my kitchen hut which was the only other room I had only to discover that it was also flooded and I had to stand in there until the hailstorm was over because it was the only room which had roofing,” he said.

Ncube said his furniture and food were destroyed by the hailstorm.

“I returned to the main house when the rain had stopped to discover that the hailstorm had destroyed all the property I had. We had stored some food in there as well but it was all damaged by water,” said Ncube.

Another villager, Luyiu Ncube said she was away when the incident occurred and only returned to find her zinc sheet roofing lying several metres from her home and the property submerged in water.

“I was at a neighbour’s home when the rain started. When I got home the roof had gone. The wind had blown off the zinc sheets as well as the rafters as far as 50 metres away.

“My property had been severely damaged by the water. We took the little that we salvaged to a neighbour’s home  for safe keeping in case the rains come again because as it is some of the property is still scattered all over the yard as you can see,” said Ncube.

Some of the homesteads in the area had cracked walls and broken windows.

Two primary schools, namely Ntoli and Huwana, had their roofs damaged by the hailstorm.

The headmistress of Ntoli Primary, Sibusisiwe Ncube, said two classroom blocks as well as the teachers’ cottages were affected.

“It is a relief that this hailstorm started after pupils had gone home because we could have recorded a serious accident. The wind was very fierce and it was banging against the windows and roof,” said Ncube.

“The roofing for two of the teachers’ cottages was completely blown off. It is a relief that we did not record any injuries because the teachers were in their cottages during the hailstorm. However, their property was severely damaged by the rain.”

The secretary for Headman Mangubo of Ntoli, Mtshabazeli Nkomo said they were still compiling a list of affected families.