Zambia: The roof of one classroom block and one office have been blown off at Ntindi Primary School. The school is situated in Nakonde District in Muchinga Province.
The country has been experiencing bad weather in many regions. The rain season and winds are causing damage to many buildings, including schools and homes.
The District Commissioner of Nakonde, Marvellous Sikapizye, said the incident happened around 15:00 hours on Wednesday. Prior to the roof being blown, the area was experiencing heavy downpour and strong winds.
District Commissioner Sikapizye has since described the damage to the classroom as a drawback to the district. According to him, the school has a population of more than 3,000 pupils who will be affected.
However, the District Commissioner pointed out that it is fortunate that no injuries were recorded as learners are on holiday.
“As government and local leaders, we must schedule an urgent meeting with DMMU and see how we can come in and render help to the school”, he said.
Meanwhile, Nakonde Council Chairperson Nathan Siame disclosed plans to put up a new structure to replace the damaged one.
The official revealed that the school buildings were in need of maintenance even before the unfortunate accident.
Nakonde Council Chairperson Siame stated that putting up a new structure will provide a stronger building. He claimed that the affected one was already in a deplorable state.
“We need to start from the foundation because we can not put up another roof when we have seen the cracks all over the building. We need to come up with another structure as soon as possible,” he said.
And Ntindi Primary School Head Teacher Mushimbei Munalula said the unfortunate incident will affect the pupils that use the classroom.
“The blowing off the roof of the classroom has put me in an awkward situation because the classroom is being used by three classes in a day. I am appealing to the relevant authorities to come in and ensure that this classroom block is worked on before schools open,” she said.
The people of Nakonde District thank the authorities for rebuilding the school from scratch. This decision will allow the students of the district to have uninterrupted access to education.