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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
Villagers in Vimba, Muchadziya and Hlabiso areas are appealing to Government to urgently fix roads and bridges, which were swept away by cyclone Idai induced floods, which also destroyed a whole village in Kopa, Chimanimani last month.

The floods left the villagers isolated and unable to continue with their income generating projects. The villages have remained inaccessible despite efforts by Government to repair roads in most of the areas that were affected by flooding that occurred at the confluence of Nyahode and Rusitu and Chipita rivers.

Speaking to The Herald last week, the villagers said they have had to walk long distances of up to 30 kilometres to access food at Dzingire Primary School distribution centre, as well as to conduct other business.

They said Mtakati Road which links Vimba and Kopa had been destroyed and needed serious rehabilitation, including the building of new bridges where sections of the road had been completely swept away.

“The road to Kopa is still bad and the amount of food that has been coming here is not enough to cater for everyone,” said Mr Blessing Office from Vimba.

“We have to travel for between 20 to 30 km from Muchadziya just to get here, but sometimes when we do get here we are told food is still on its way.

“We then have to spend days sleeping in the open until we get food and then we have to carry more than 60kgs of food back home because there is no transport.”

Mr Office said if Government fixed the roads, they would be able to resume their banana trade and to continue rebuilding their lives.

Rusitu Valley is renowned for production of horticulture produce and other crops and hundreds of traders travel to the area to buy produce for resale in Mutare, Chipinge, Zvishavane and some even as far as Bulawayo.

Another villager, Mrs Danah Marata, said she had been selling bananas from Rusitu since 2000 when her husband died.

“When my husband died, I had to take care of my two sons, one was 2 years old and the other was only a few months old,” she said.

“I have been able to take them through school since then through buying bananas from the farmers here and selling them in Zvishavane, Shurugwi and Bulawayo.

“My oldest is now doing A level and I need to continue working if I am going to be able to take him through university. But I cannot transport my bananas from my village to Copa because there are no roads, no bridges.

‘‘ I have not made a single cent in a month now and if this persists, my child will not continue with his education.”

The villagers’ situation has been made worse by shop owners who have taken advantage of the situation to hike prices.

They said the shops were now selling a 2-litre bottle of cooking oil for $20, while 2kg of sugar was now going for $10 and a green bar of soap for $8.

Transport fares from Kopa to Chipinge where most of the traders connect to various towns have also trebled to $15 from $5.

“In the past, we used to fix damaged roads through food for work, but this model cannot work now,” said Mr Jairos Maramba.

“Most of the work that is needed here needs heavy machinery.”