A powerful storm struck Dadaya High School in Zvishavane, Midlands Province, on 2 November 2025, causing extensive damage to classrooms, hostels, and other school infrastructure. The incident forced the urgent evacuation of learners and disrupted school operations, highlighting the vulnerability of educational facilities to extreme weather events in the region.
The storm began around 16:23 hours, and by 17:38 hours, the deputy head received a call from a local resident alerting the school to the destruction. Senior staff, hostel masters, and the school chaplain immediately assessed the damage, evacuated students where necessary, and educated learners on storm hazards and mitigation strategies.
According to the official incident report, the storm caused widespread destruction across the school’s facilities. The roofs of two classrooms were destroyed, while the deputy head’s house lost two sheets and three ridges. A-level boys’ hostels lost four ridges, while F3 and F4 hostels suffered damage to sheets and ridges. The A-level girls’ hostel and several other girls’ hostels sustained cracked sheets and a six-meter portion of durawall collapsed. The boys’ hostels also experienced damage to a four-by-eight-meter durawall. Furniture, books, and other stored items were destroyed, bringing the total estimated loss to US$9,636.94, covering materials such as roofing sheets, truss timbers, asbestos ridges, durawall panels, and other structural components.
In response to the storm, the school acted swiftly to ensure the safety of learners. Affected students were evacuated and provided with temporary accommodation. Senior staff and the chaplain counselled students and provided education on storm hazards. Debris was cleared promptly, and the school reported the incident to the Dadaya Governing Board, the School Development Committee (SDC), and the District Schools Inspector (DSI). A claim was also lodged with Minerva Insurance for the damages incurred.
The storm caused significant disruption to school operations, including shortages in student accommodation, destruction of property, and heightened hostel insecurity due to structural damage. In light of the destruction, the school has recommended urgent repairs to roofs, durawalls, and other affected structures to restore normal operations. Authorities are currently awaiting a response from the insurer before repair work can commence.
Photographic evidence from the school shows the scope of the damage. A six-meter portion of the girls’ hostel durawall was destroyed, while two classrooms in the A-level block had their roofs destroyed, affecting approximately 60% of the structure. The boys’ hostel durawall was damaged across multiple sections, including a 30-meter front wall and rear portions measuring 4, 6, and 4 meters. Roofing sheets and ridges were also destroyed in the A-level and Africa hostels.
Chirume G, Headmaster of Dadaya High School, emphasized that swift action prevented injuries and ensured student safety during the storm. “Our priority was the safety of learners and staff. We acted immediately to evacuate students, secure damaged areas, and notify authorities,” he said.
The incident at Dadaya High highlights the urgent need for school preparedness, timely insurance coverage, and structural resilience in Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province. As extreme weather events become increasingly frequent, ensuring the safety of learners and protecting educational resources remains a pressing concern for school administrators and policymakers alike.
