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Michell Zvanyanya, Chronicle Reporter 

A councillor in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South, is appealing for assistance to rebuild two classroom blocks and a teachers’ cottage at Ndolwane Primary School which were destroyed by a whirlwind last month. 

In an interview yesterday, Ward 13 Councillor Never Ncube said the storm which occurred on November 23 damaged more than 50 percent of the classrooms which had the roofs blown off. 

He said there was no loss of life or injuries as the incident occurred during the weekend when the pupils were at their homes. 

Ndolwane Primary School is one of the 35 schools in Matabeleland South Province whose infrastructure got damaged by heavy rains experienced in the province last month.  The rains were accompanied by violent winds, lightning and thunder leaving a trail of destruction in the area. 

Cllr Ncube appealed to well-wishers for assistance for repair work at the school. 

 “During the incident, roofing sheets mainly galvanized iron sheets were strewn all over the place by a whirlwind to a distance of over 100 metres. The main school classroom block consisting of five classrooms, administration office and a storeroom was extensively damaged. The impact was largely on roofing structure, roof trusses and roofing sheets. The block has a length of 48 metres and a width of 7,5 metres. 26 windows were either broken or had distinct cracks,” said Cllr Ncube. 

“The second block consists of four classrooms and a storeroom. The major impact was also on roofing structure. 23 panes from the same block were broken or had distinct cracks. The affected nine classrooms accommodate 360 pupils. A teachers’ cottage was also affected and fortunately the occupants were not inside the premises when the incident occurred.” 

He said large quantities of stationery and text books were also destroyed by rains. 

Cllr Ncube said the building material needed for reconstruction includes roof trusses, purlins, roofing nails, window panes and bags of cement. 

“The estimated bill of quantity required include purlin 125 x 6m, roofing nails 40 x 1kg, 4-inch nails 20 x 1kg, 32 roof trusses, 50 window panes and 100 bags of cement,” he said. 

Cllr Ncube appealed for speedy assistance to ensure pupils have a conducive place for their learning when schools open next month. 

“Pupils will be forced to stay home when schools open if we fail to reconstruct the classrooms. We are in the rainy season and there is no alternative shelter for the pupils,” he said. -@michellzvanyanya2