A FRESH disaster looms in Manicaland after Provincial
Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba warned yesterday that one of the province’s
largest dams in the mountainous Vumba area could breach, putting to risk the
lives of over 400 living downstream.
The Mwayera Dam was extensively weakened following the
Cyclone Idai deluge nearly two week ago that left hundreds of people dead and
thousands homeless in Chimanimani, Chipinge, Masvingo and parts of Midlands
provinces.
The heavy downpour left Manyera Dam in Vumba weakened and
engineers have since been dispatched to the area where over 400 people living
near and around the dam
may be displaced as a precautionary measure.
Thirty families located in the vicinity of the dam have
been asked to relocate to higher ground, while engineers monitor the dam wall.
“I am told that Manyera Dam in Vumba has shown some signs
of distress which could affect people who are living in the downstream. We
discussed the matter in a meeting yesterday night (Saturday),” she said.
The development comes after 259 people have been confirmed
dead and 217 unaccounted for, while over 16 000 households have been displaced
by Cyclone Idai-induced floods south of Vumba in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
Gwaradzimba said she had since tasked Mutare district
administrator Wilson Boore to identify alternative land to relocate the
families in the dam’s vicinity.
“We have sent a team of water engineers to assess the
situation. We have alerted at least 31 families who are living downstream who
are most likely to be affected,” Gwaradzimba said.
“In fact, throughout the province we are expecting to move
people who are living downstream (of dams). We draw a lesson from the
Tugwi-Mukosi (dam) issue in Masvingo. We are also very aware that some people
will refuse to be moved from their areas, but as government we are going to
force them.”
The Manicaland Provincial Department of Civil Protection
yesterday sent short text messages on mobile network platforms alerting the
public of the impending possible disaster.
“Manyera Dam wall in Vumba has weakened and all those
downstream are advised to evacuate and go to higher places. Please, if you have
relatives in this area pass on this message at once. In case of emergency dial
111 or 112,” the message read.
But, farmers from Burma Valley who were on the ground with
the engineers who designed the dam dismissed the threats, saying the dam wall
was stable and posed no threat to the community.
They said the part of the dam which was damaged was a
special check dam designed to be damaged in case of floods to protect the dam
wall.
“Manyera Dam has a small section of its wall designed to
wash away in the case of flooding to prevent damage to the main dam wall –
think of it like the fuse in your house. This narrow brickwall has been
damaged, as intended, which will prevent the main wall from collapsing,” a
farmer who refused to be named said.
The Information ministry later revoked the early warning,
saying it had been issued without verifying the information.
“We have been informed that checks by engineers have
confirmed that both Witchood and Manyera dam are structurally safe. The earlier
cautionary announcement is withdrawn. We thank the agencies for acting on this
in a timely manner and avoided unnecessary disruption,” the ministry said.
However, human rights activist Farai Maguwu yesterday
described government’s disaster preparedness as shambolic.
“I think there is no commitment by the government to help
people who are living near the dam. They have just simply said that people
should move to higher ground. They did the same thing in Chimanimani and
Chipinge where we have lost lives. They sent a message on Twitter and the
majority people in the areas are not on Twitter. Loss of lives could have been
avoided if the government was serious,” he said.
MDC-Alliance Manicaland spokesperson Trevor Saruwaka
weighed in, accusing the Zanu PF administration of disrespecting the sanctity
of human life.
“Remember, we are talking about an illegitimate government
which doesn’t care. We have a government which clearly fails to carry out its
mandate. I don’t think this government will be forgiven in future,” he said
Chimanimani East Zanu PF legislator Joshua Sacco has,
meanwhile, described his recent booing by some villagers in the constituency as
politically-motivated after he was accused of peddling falsehoods during
Cyclone Idai disaster.
Sacco was, however defended by both President Emmerson
Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga when he was booed by angry
villagers during an address at Chimanimani’s Skyline on Wednesday.
Sacco was accused of lying on State television that
students from St Charles Lwanga School had been rescued, when they were still
marooned and desperate for help.
“Those people who booed me are supporters of former
legislator in the constituency, Samuel Undenge. I was aware before that this
was going to happen, but all this thing is politically-motivated,” Sacco said.
“How do we prevent this (flood disaster) from happening
again? Let’s look at reforestation, so that we can prevent such floods and the
other issue is water harvesting for domestic use. We should have more dams that
can break the flow of water. We should harvest water for domestic use and
irrigation. The Umvumvumvu bridge, in ward 22 can be used for irrigation and it
can supply Chayamiti and Nyanyadzi respectively,” he added.
weakened and engineers have since been dispatched to the
area where over 400 people living near and around the dam
may be displaced as a precautionary measure.
Thirty families located in the vicinity of the dam have
been asked to relocate to higher ground, while engineers monitor the dam wall.
“I am told that Manyera Dam in Vumba has shown some signs
of distress which could affect people who are living in the downstream. We
discussed the matter in a meeting yesterday night (Saturday),” she said.
The development comes after 259 people have been confirmed
dead and 217 unaccounted for, while over 16 000 households have been displaced
by Cyclone Idai-induced floods south of Vumba in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
Gwaradzimba said she had since tasked Mutare district
administrator Wilson Boore to identify alternative land to relocate the
families in the dam’s vicinity.
“We have sent a team of water engineers to assess the
situation. We have alerted at least 31 families who are living downstream who
are most likely to be affected,” Gwaradzimba said.
“In fact, throughout the province we are expecting to move
people who are living downstream (of dams). We draw a lesson from the
Tugwi-Mukosi (dam) issue in Masvingo. We are also very aware that some people
will refuse to be moved from their areas, but as government we are going to
force them.”
The Manicaland Provincial Department of Civil Protection
yesterday sent short text messages on mobile network platforms alerting the
public of the impending possible disaster.
“Manyera Dam wall in Vumba has weakened and all those
downstream are advised to evacuate and go to higher places. Please, if you have
relatives in this area pass on this message at once. In case of emergency dial
111 or 112,” the message read.
But, farmers from Burma Valley who were on the ground with
the engineers who designed the dam dismissed the threats, saying the dam wall
was stable and posed no threat to the community.
They said the part of the dam which was damaged was a
special check dam designed to be damaged in case of floods to protect the dam
wall.
“Manyera Dam has a small section of its wall designed to
wash away in the case of flooding to prevent damage to the main dam wall –
think of it like the fuse in your house. This narrow brickwall has been
damaged, as intended, which will prevent the main wall from collapsing,” a
farmer who refused to be named said.
The Information ministry later revoked the early warning,
saying it had been issued without verifying the information.
“We have been informed that checks by engineers have confirmed
that both Witchood and Manyera dam are structurally safe. The earlier
cautionary announcement is withdrawn. We thank the agencies for acting on this
in a timely manner and avoided unnecessary disruption,” the ministry said.
However, human rights activist Farai Maguwu yesterday
described government’s disaster preparedness as shambolic.
“I think there is no commitment by the government to help
people who are living near the dam. They have just simply said that people
should move to higher ground. They did the same thing in Chimanimani and
Chipinge where we have lost lives. They sent a message on Twitter and the
majority people in the areas are not on Twitter. Loss of lives could have been
avoided if the government was serious,” he said.
MDC-Alliance Manicaland spokesperson Trevor Saruwaka
weighed in, accusing the Zanu PF administration of disrespecting the sanctity
of human life.
“Remember, we are talking about an illegitimate government
which doesn’t care. We have a government which clearly fails to carry out its
mandate. I don’t think this government will be forgiven in future,” he said
Chimanimani East Zanu PF legislator Joshua Sacco has,
meanwhile, described his recent booing by some villagers in the constituency as
politically-motivated after he was accused of peddling falsehoods during
Cyclone Idai disaster.
Sacco was, however defended by both President Emmerson
Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga when he was booed by angry
villagers during an address at Chimanimani’s Skyline on Wednesday.
Sacco was accused of lying on State television that
students from St Charles Lwanga School had been rescued, when they were still
marooned and desperate for help.
“Those people who booed me are supporters of former
legislator in the constituency, Samuel Undenge. I was aware before that this
was going to happen, but all this thing is politically-motivated,” Sacco said.
“How do we prevent this (flood disaster) from happening
again? Let’s look at reforestation, so that we can prevent such floods and the
other issue is water harvesting for domestic use. We should have more dams that
can break the flow of water. We should harvest water for domestic use and
irrigation. The Umvumvumvu bridge, in ward 22 can be used for irrigation and it
can supply Chayamiti and Nyanyadzi respectively,” he added. Newsday
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