SEVERAL homes were destroyed when heavy rains accompanied by strong winds hit Honde Valley in Mutasa District, Manicaland province, yesterday morning, leaving a trail of destruction.
The worst affected area was Mandeya, where rooftops of a classroom block at Pimai Primary School and a shop were blown off while trees were uprooted.
Some of the villagers were seen crying uncontrollably after their planted maize crop was destroyed.
Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Misheck Mugadza confirmed the heavy rains saying a Department of Civil Protection team was assessing the damage.
“We will come back to you again and inform you of the extent of damage, but we have been very vigilant against such calamities,” Mugadza said.
Zanu PF Mutasa district co-ordinating committee chairperson Washington Ziwiwi also confirmed the heavy rains.
“As a party, we are on the ground assessing the situation and we are very sad about the developments,” he added.
A villager in Mandeya 1 village, Mavis Mandeya, said her crops were destroyed.
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“The rains, which were accompanied by heavy winds, started at around 3am and several homes were destroyed,” she said.
The government dismissed some reports on social media that a cyclone had hit Honde Valley.
Manicaland is still reeling from the effects of Cyclone Idai, an intense tropical storm that made landfall in between March 4 and 21, 2019, and left a trail of disaster.
It is recorded as one of the worst tropical cyclones to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere.
The long-lived storm caused catastrophic damage, and a humanitarian crisis in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, leaving more than 500 people dead and many more missing.
Masvingo province was also heavily affected by the cyclone.
