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Victor Maphosa Mash East Correspondent
A six-year-old girl from Jonasi Village in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe district died recently after she was swept away while trying to cross a flooded stream following heavy rains that pounded the area and left some people homeless. Gloria Kapawu was with her 12-year-old sister Gamuchirai, who survived drowning, but sustained serious injuries.

Her body was found the following day trapped between two submerged rocks in one of the pools near a dam. She was buried in Jonasi Village in an emotional ceremony attended by hundreds of people from UMP Wards 4 and 5.

When The Herald visited the family, scores of villagers were gathered at the Kapawu homestead to pay their last respects to Gloria.

Speaking on the sidelines of the burial, Mr Kurauone Kapawu said he was still to come to terms with his daughter’s death.

He said the incident occurred after his daughters had accompanied their mother to fetch water from a river, four kilometres away.

“We fetch water for drinking from that river because we do not have a borehole nearby,” said Mr Kapawu. “My wife left our daughters at the river with other villagers while she went to her parents’ home to check on her father who is not feeling well.

“While she was away, there was a heavy hailstorm around 5.00pm and my daughters decided to return home, but they found a stream that is close to us already flooded.”

Mr Kapawu said Gamuchirai took Gloria’s hand and they tried to cross the stream, but were both swept away.

“Gamuchirai managed to grab onto some objects until the water pushed her onto the banks of the stream, while her younger sister continued to be swept away and drowned,” Mr Kapawu said.

Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe district administrator Mr Douglas Hungwa said they were working on assisting families whose homes were destroyed by the storm.

“This disaster caught everyone unawares, but we have since convened a meeting at district level and alerted the provincial and national offices of this disaster,” he said.

“We have also approached several people in the district to help by donating whatever they can in terms of food and tents for those who were left homeless. So, we are working round the clock to make sure the affected families are assisted as soon as possible.”