The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda Post Correspondent
An earth tremor measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale shattered the serenity of Mount Selinda and its environs last Saturday morning. Some put the tremor at 07:26hrs while others put it at 07:33. Whatever the time it occurred what is without doubt is: it left a trail of destruction which is unprecedented. In the wake of the disaster, many people are convinced that climate change is indeed upon us and they urge the Government to establish an early warning system which would forewarn people.
Luke Muposeki (49) of Dimire village, staggered out of his bedroom. He was reclining on his bed when he heard and felt the shaking of the earth. The shaking had become unbearable. He had experienced the same phenomenon some years before. It was unmistakably an earthquake.
“As I rushed out of the house, my heart was undoubtedly in my mouth. I felt a dry patch in my mouth. I swallowed hard but the lips dried as I put my tongue around them. I thought the roof will collapse on me. My children are early risers and they had already gone out to play,” he said.
Earthquakes are a new natural disaster which strikes the eastern side of the nation with unceasing regularity in recent years. Many citizens have tended to think of Asian countries as the major epicentres of volcanic and earthquake activities alongside Latin America. They also thought tectonic plates affected the Great Rift Valley only. Zimbabwe, as a landlocked country, is immune to these natural disasters. Nothing is further from the truth.
Events of the past week have shown that earthquakes are slowly but surely coming home to roost. Indeed, the Chipinge people have a sordid tale to tell which would be passed on from generation to generation.
Mbuya Charwadza Mhlanga (67) of Muzite under Chief Gwenzi lives alone with her 10-year-old granddaughter. Muzite wasn’t spared. Her granddaughter, Chido, scampered out of the house and yelled to her grandmother that something was afoot. She believes that earthquakes are symptoms of the imminent end of the world.
“Over the years, we have heard of earthquakes in other parts of the world and now they are coming closer home. Can these be one of the signs of the end?” she asked rhetorically.
On its part, the Government hasn’t been slow to mobilise resources. Chipinge District Administrator, Mr William Mashava, is the head of the Civil Protection Unit in the district. He said there was sensationalist tendencies by social and mainstream media which he said were unavoidable albeit regrettable.
“As of now (Tuesday night), we have updated our stakeholders on the situation on the ground and we hope that before the end of the week, there would be tangible evidence on the ground to show we are working. What is important is, contrary to popular belief, there were no deaths,” he said.
Beacon Hill School has been in existence for more than a century. Its buildings, naturally, are no longer as strong as they were a hundred years ago. Crucially, those buildings weren’t made to withstand tremors. Mundanda School which was founded in 1982 also fell prey to the earth tremor. What does it mean to the builders?
A veteran building contractor, Mr Simon Chakasikwa, said short cuts in building houses were no longer tolerable in view of the trail of destruction left by the tremor.
“It’s no longer business as usual for the builders. Cement mixtures must reflect the new realities. Some builders got away with it when the cement ratio was miniscule but heads and School Development Committee members must be alive to these new realities and not to let shoddy work go unpunished,” said Mr Chakasikwa.
A parent at Mundanda School, Mr Tygen Chimbanje, said the tremor would have a bearing on next year’s fees as the buildings that had cracks ought to be repaired and that needs an arm and a leg.
“Obviously, parents would bear the brunt of the aftermath of the tremor for heads will levy students to help in the reconstruction process. The question is: in the wake of the financial doldrums most parents are in, will they be able to pay?” Mr Chimbanje asked.
The tremors reached Middle Sabi, 55 kilometres away from Chipinge town.
“Outside, we could see our car shaking when we fled from the house. It was a scene from hell,” said Mr James Dhube.
He said he calmed his wife and reminded her that it was an earth tremor which would subside with time. His only worry is that the tremors are rising on the Richter scale every time they occur.
“It’s only a matter of time before earthquakes kill hundreds if not thousands of residents and perhaps our engineers, architects and builders must construct houses which are in congruent with the new realities,” Mr Dhube said.
Still in Middle Sabi, a family made a beeline for the door when the tremor hit the area. There was so much noise that the family thought it was the end.
“We ran out as the ceiling threatened to collapse on us. So much noise rattled our ears,” said Mrs Chiedza Sithole of Middle Sabi.
As resources are mobilised, there is need to construct houses that can withstand the tremors. Again, civic education on tremors has to be a prerequisite to areas which are earthquake prone. That would minimise casualties.
“Just like drought predictions, there should be early warning units in the country to make people be prepared for any eventuality. The absence of early warning systems creates pandemonium when the tremor occurs,” Mr Samuel Mhlanga, a social commentator said.
