15 Left Dead In Mnangagwa Home Province
20 January 2025
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By A Correspondent- At least 15 people have died, and 785 households mostly in the Midlands Province—have been ravaged by unrelenting rains in Zimbabwe.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa hails from the same province.

The devastation, spanning multiple provinces since September last year, has also severely impacted infrastructure, with 118 schools and 13 health facilities damaged, leaving communities vulnerable and services disrupted.

The Midlands bears the brunt, with 433 households affected, followed by Manicaland (181), Masvingo (46), and Matabeleland North (47).

Among the hardest-hit facilities is Muponjane Primary School in Zvishavane, where a powerful January 11 storm caused significant damage, exacerbating classroom shortages.

Repair costs are estimated at $8,120, highlighting the financial strain on local institutions.

Two men remain stranded in Runde River as water levels rise dangerously, prompting urgent rescue missions.

Meanwhile, artisanal miners have faced fatal disasters. In Hwedza, three miners perished in a mine shaft collapse on December 27, with bodies retrieved a week later.

A similar tragedy struck in Mberengwa last Thursday, claiming two lives, while in Mudzi District, three miners remain trapped underground, despite a 24-hour rescue operation led by police, army, and emergency officials.

Flash floods have compounded the crisis, inundating homes in Mbare, Harare, on January 8, underscoring the city’s persistent drainage problems.

In Mashonaland Central, a January 7 storm devastated Avonda Farm, displacing 11 households. Emergency relief—rice, tinned beef, and sanitizers—has been distributed, but the response highlights the broader gaps in disaster preparedness.

Zimbabwe’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters have been laid bare, with insufficient infrastructure, poor planning, and stretched resources leaving communities at risk.

As heavy rains continue, more lives and livelihoods hang in the balance.

Without comprehensive disaster management reforms, these tragedies may persist, deepening the cycle of destruction and loss.