Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Raymond Jaravaza,raymondjaravaza@gmail.com
A frightening incident occurred in Bulawayo’s Kumalo suburb on Thursday as a decades-old tree toppled onto a family home during a severe storm. Torrential rains and strong winds battered the city, leading to the collapse of Zesa infrastructure in several western suburbs. Miraculously, no injuries or fatalities were reported, according to the Bulawayo Fire Brigade. The storm also caused trees to fall in other areas, including Parklands and Hillside.
As the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) predicts normal to above-normal rainfall, residents are urged to exercise caution and be aware of potential risks associated with adverse weather conditions.
Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Mhlangano Moyo said the emergency services department received a distress call around 5pm on Thursday about a family home that had collapsed due to a tree falling on the roof.
“We received a distress call on Thursday at 17:26 PM that a house on Fitch Road in Kumalo suburb had been extensively damaged by a tree. The damages included a caved-in roof in the kitchen area as well as damaged ceilings and walls,” said Moyo.
The homeowner, Ronald Masuku, and his helper, Pamela Moyo, were not injured.
“The elderly homeowner, Mr Masuku, who is in his 80s, and Pamela Moyo did not suffer any injuries. In the western areas, the Fire Brigade did not respond to any distress calls.”
Yesterday, Saturday Chronicle visited the Masuku family and observed the extensive damage caused by the decades-old tree that fell on the house. A private contractor had been hired to cut down tree branches on the roof and clear debris from the damaged part of the house.
The family helper, Moyo, said she was in the kitchen when she heard a loud bang as the tree suddenly collapsed on the house. She had been making tea for her elderly boss, Masuku, when the near-tragedy struck.
“At first, I thought the house had been struck by lightning. I ran from the kitchen into the sitting room where uBaba was watching TV when the tree fell on the roof,” said Moyo.
She said the recently renovated kitchen was left with a gaping hole in the roof as the huge tree branches ripped apart the house.
“I immediately contacted Mr Masuku’s daughter, who is based overseas, to let her know that part of the house had collapsed, and she contacted the Fire Brigade. The Fire Brigade responded very quickly and assessed the damage caused by the falling tree.”
Masuku, a retired educationist who worked in places such as Plumtree and Wedza, said the private contractor hired to clear the debris will also cut down two other huge trees in his yard.
He said he was a bit shaken after the incident, but together with his helper Moyo, they were not injured.
In Entumbane suburb, electricity supply was abruptly cut off after several electricity poles collapsed due to the torrential rains.
Zesa employees were hard at work digging huge holes to remove the collapsed electricity poles so they could be replaced and power supplies reconnected in the area.
At Ascot Shopping Centre, tree branches that fell on a perimeter fence surrounding the shopping mall caused minimal damage as the rains pounded parts of the city. In Parklands and parts of Kumalo suburbs, BCC workers from the city’s parks department were busy cutting down trees that fell and blocked roads. Saturday Chronicle observed three huge trees that had fallen and blocked roads in the two suburbs.
Philani Nguluve of Parklands said the suburb is home to some of the oldest trees in the city and that the huge vegetation is prone to collapsing in the rainy season.
“The city council should either prune some of the tree branches or cut down the entire trees, especially the old ones, because every rainy season they collapse and damage houses and vehicles,” said Nguluve.
Two weeks ago, at the onset of the rainy season, a huge tree fell on a commuter omnibus at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Fort Street in the city.
Several homes were submerged in rainwater in Mahatshula suburb, and the Fire Brigade encouraged residents to open weep holes in their perimeter walls to allow for the free flow of water.
Weep holes are small openings in a building or structure that allow water to drain out. They are typically located at the base of exterior brick perimeter walls.
