By Rangarirai Shanyurai
Thirteen students from Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) belongings were destroyed after an electrical fault sparked fire at Appleseed boarding house near Yeukai shops in Mucheke on September 27, at around 1900 hours.
According to a GZU Student Representative Council (SRC), thirteen girls from Yeukai boarding house lost everything in a tragic fire and the university had since provided temporary shelter and meals for the victims.
“Thirteen girls from a boarding house in Yeukai have lost everything in a devastating fire. It is truly heart-breaking to see our friends in such a difficult situation. During this challenging time, the university is providing them with temporary accommodation and meals as they await to go to a new boarding house. However, they need our support more than ever.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to those who have donated food and clothes. Your kindness and generosity are a beacon of hope for these girls in their time of need. For those who have not yet had the chance to contribute, we kindly urge you to consider helping. Every donation, no matter how small, can make a significant difference. As stated in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Let us come together as a community to support our fellow students,” read the post.
The owner of the boarding house, Godknows Mugondo confirmed the incident and said they suspect the fire was a night spark from the sockets.
He said GZU Vice Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo promised to attend to the victims’ needs and some of the students had already been taken to Mucheke Campus for accommodation.
“GZU has requested to take the victims to Mucheke Campus and we acceded to their request though we were in the process of transferring them to another boarding house in Runyararo West. We have provided them with blankets and they are going to get what they had at the previous boarding house.
“There are also plans by the University for the students to recover academic documents that were destroyed by the fire. We made a police report indicating the documents were destroyed,” said Mugondo.
He said he had spoken to Masvingo City Mayor, Alec Tabe who is also the ward 4 councillor and local Member of Parliament, Martin Mureri who also promised to mobilise help for the 13 students.
“I contacted the Mayor Tabe and MP Mureri and they both promised to help mobilise for assistance” he said.
