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Thupeyo Muleya – Beitbridge Bureau

RAINS accompanied by strong winds destroyed property worth thousands of dollars and crops in ward 6 and 14 under Beitbridge west constituency on 23 October.

Farmers were left counting losses after crops and irrigation infrastructure was extensively damaged.

In some areas, rooftops were blown away.

Affected areas include; Giraffe, Ha Bishopstone, Lusindi, Ha Mabidi and Muzingwani.

A team from the Beitbridge District Civil Protection Committee was dispatched to the ground to assess damages.

Beitbridge Agricultural Extension Officer, Mr Masauso Mawocha said the worst affected farmers were those around wards 6 and 14 where crops and infrastructure had been destroyed.

“One farmer, Mr Jealous Mbedzi lost 20 000 heads of cabbages, 10 000 plants of watermelons, green pepper, green mealies (these are small hectares) in ward 14, on wheat 0.2ha were affected but however, most farmers had harvested their wheat. In ward 6 some farmers’ irrigation infrastructure was destroyed and further assessments are underway.”
“Farmers should consider insuring their high value crops,” said Mr Mawocha.

The development comes a few days after the Department of Civil Protection (DCP) said it had established the Emergency Operation Centre as part of measures to respond to disasters during the upcoming 2024-25 rainy season.

Zimbabwe, like other SADC countries, is set to receive normal to above-normal rains, raising the risk of floods and other rain-induced disasters.

The Emergency Operation Centre will coordinate with the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) on disaster management.

DCP chief director Mr Nathan Nkomo said they have adopted a multi-sectoral approach to deal with disasters this season.

“In terms of our planning, as required by the Civil Protection Act, Section 9, Subsection (2:20) 2, I think we have done justice in applying the multi-sectoral approach in dealing with disaster-related issues,” he said.

“I can safely say we are ready in terms of all our sub-national structures, starting at the village level. Remember, the traditional leaders are now also roped in as part of our disaster risk management system. Starting at that level, we are conscientising all the structures about the current rainfall.”