Great Zimbabwe University has postponed its 20th graduation ceremony after a devastating hailstorm damaged its graduation venue and other infrastructure across Masvingo.
The ceremony, which had been scheduled for the 7th of October, will now be held on the 23rd this month, according to a notice issued by the university’s Information and Public Relations Office on Tuesday.
The university had already put preparations in place for the graduation ceremony when the storm struck Masvingo on Monday evening, damaging the graduation venue and surrounding infrastructure.
The storm has since been declared a State of Disaster by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the affected areas of Masvingo Province. The declaration was announced by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe in a statement on Tuesday.
The university said the postponement was made in the interest of the safety and wellbeing of graduates, their families, guests, staff and other stakeholders.
“The decision follows the severe devastation caused by the sudden storm that affected Masvingo last night,” the university said.
The damage has also disrupted learning at GZU, with the university suspending all lectures with immediate effect to allow urgent repairs to teaching and learning venues and accommodation facilities. Lectures are expected to resume on Monday, October 12.
The extent of the destruction was outlined by Minister Garwe, who said preliminary reports showed that about 8,500 households had their roofs completely blown off, while approximately 90 percent of 17,000 assessed households had shattered windows.
Great Zimbabwe University’s Mucheke Campus was among several major institutions severely affected by the storm.
“Severe disruptions have been recorded across major administrative and educational institutions,” Garwe said.
The minister said the damage extended beyond homes and educational institutions to critical public infrastructure, businesses and electricity networks.
“The extreme weather experienced inflicted extensive structural damage across residential areas, critical public utilities, education and health institutions, and commercial establishments,” he said.
The storm also damaged ZESA power lines across the province, resulting in widespread power outages that have affected water pumping systems, municipal drainage and sewer networks.
Garwe said the government was mobilising resources to respond to the disaster and called for cooperation from other sectors.
“I have called for all government agencies to join hands in assisting the affected communities,” he said.
He also appealed to the private sector and development partners to support the relief efforts.
“While the state is deploying all available resources, we make an urgent appeal to the private sector and partners to join hands with the government,” Garwe said.
The postponement of GZU’s graduation is therefore one of the immediate effects of a much wider disaster that has disrupted homes, businesses, public institutions and essential services across Masvingo.
The university said further updates on the graduation ceremony would be communicated through its official channels.
