The damage left by October’s hailstorm goes beyond buildings. For some residents, the emotional wounds remain.

Today, City of Masvingo Mayor, Cllr Aleck Tabe, officially launched the Trauma Response Care programme at the Civic Centre. A partnership between City of Masvingo and Happynest Counselling Chambers (HNCC), the programme provides psychosocial support to those affected by the disaster.

Mayor Tabe commended residents for supporting one another after the storm, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a State of Disaster. He emphasised that recovery must also address anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Through the City’s Health Department and HNCC, pupils are already receiving age-appropriate counselling, while teachers are receiving counselling and training in trauma first aid.

Town Clerk, Eng. Edward Mukaratirwa, urged collective action to heal the emotional wounds left by the disaster, reinforcing the launch theme: Rebuilding Homes, Healing Minds: Masvingo Rises Together.

HNCC Chief Executive Officer and specialist psychologist, Mr Innocent Mataruse, said the programme would reach every government and council-run school in the city. Using a stepped-care approach, support will be matched to individual needs. Each school will receive two sessions, with HNCC also responding to trauma-related emergencies.

Funded by the City of Masvingo’s Disaster Management Fund, the programme is FREE to all pupils.

How can you help?

Check in on someone affected, make time to listen and share this message so more families know support is available.

Together, we can rebuild more than homes—we can restore hope and ensure that no one faces recovery alone.

The City of Masvingo, through the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund, successfully hosted a swimming gala at Junior High School, bringing together young swimmers from primary and high schools for a day of exciting competition, teamwork and sporting excellence.

The event was graced by the Deputy Mayor Alderman Daniel Mberikunashe, whose presence highlighted the City’s commitment to promoting youth development and sporting excellence.

The gala saw participants competing in freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke across various age categories.

Congratulations to our top-performing schools:

Kwekwe Primary School emerged as the leading primary school with an impressive 24 medals, comprising 11 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze medals.

Junior High School topped the high school category with 30 medals, comprising 19 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals.

The day concluded with an exciting fun relay race, where schools fielded teams of two boys and two girls, showcasing unity, teamwork and the spirit of healthy competition.

The City of Masvingo extends its sincere appreciation to our sponsors for making this event a success: Express Energy, Honey Comb (Mr Mazambani), HR Stationery, Chicken Inn, Junior Group of Schools, Kingdom Blue Funerals and Ecosure.

The Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund is City of Masvingo’s charity fundraising initiative, which aims to be cheered to the less fortunate during the festive season.

#OurCity #OurHeritage #OurGuide

City of Masvingo’s commitment to service delivery excellence and transformative leadership received prestigious recognition at the 2026 Zimbabwe Chamber of Commerce Provincial Awards, held last night at Urban Lifestyle in Masvingo.

In a remarkable celebration of leadership and institutional excellence, His Worship the Mayor, Cllr Aleck Tabe, received the Public Service Excellence Award in recognition of his dedication to serving the people of Masvingo.

Town Clerk, Eng. Edward Mukaratirwa, was honoured with the 2026 Business Leader of the Year Award, while the City of Masvingo emerged as the first runner-up in the Local Authorities category.

These accolades are a testament to the City’s visionary and servant leadership, collective dedication to excellence and unwavering commitment to improving service delivery and the quality of life of Masvingo residents.

The achievements also reflect the collective efforts of Council leadership, management and staff in advancing the City’s vision of becoming an industrialised, world-class metropolitan city by 2030.

Congratulations to Mayor Tabe, Eng. Mukaratirwa and the entire City of Masvingo Council, management and staff on these outstanding achievements!

Makorokoto! Amhlophe! Congratulations!

As part of #Pinkoctober, the City of Masvingo joined residents at Mucheke Stadium for a Breast Cancer Awareness Programme aimed at raising awareness, promoting early detection and encouraging women to prioritise their health and well-being.

The event was graced by Guest of Honour, Councillor Sharon Murombedze, who emphasised the importance of regular breast cancer screening, recognising warning signs early and dispelling common myths and misconceptions surrounding the disease.

The gathering also provided a platform for unity, solidarity and community resilience, as participants shared their traumatic experiences and reflections following the recent hailstorm disaster. Their heartfelt testimonies underscored the importance of supporting one another, promoting emotional healing and building stronger, more resilient communities.

Free on-site counselling, breast cancer screening and general health checks were also provided through the City of Masvingo’s Health Services Department and several partner organisations.

The City of Masvingo continues to encourage women, families and the wider community to champion women’s health, break the stigma surrounding breast cancer and make early detection a priority.

Let us build a community where every woman feels valued, supported and empowered to prioritise her health.

Early detection saves lives. Knowledge empowers. Together, we are stronger.

City of Masvingo has commenced collecting rubble and debris left by the recent devastating hailstorm, with a front-end loader and tipper truck deployed across the CBD, residential and industrial areas as efforts to restore the city gather momentum.

Residents are urged to place storm debris outside their properties, as close to the roadside as possible, to facilitate easy and efficient collection.

Let us work together to restore Masvingo. Do not dump rubble in streams, storm-water drains, road reserves, or other public spaces, as this obstructs water flow and increases the risk of flooding.

Your cooperation is vital in keeping our city clean, safe, and beautiful as we rebuild.

#OurCity #OurHeritage #OurGuide

After the devastating hailstorm that struck Masvingo last week, Deep Ridge Africa, represented by Mr and Mrs Nduna, has stepped up by partnering with the City of Masvingo to rebuild Alpha Cottages Children’s Home.

Town Clerk Eng. E. Mukaratirwa and council management recently hosted the Deep Ridge Africa delegation for a site tour, inspecting the damaged learning block, ablution facilities, and vegetable garden.

Through this collaboration—with Deep Ridge Africa supplying roofing and plumbing materials, and the Council providing technical expertise and manpower — council is moving swiftly to restore the home.

Eng. Mukaratirwa has extended his deepest gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Nduna and issued an open call to other businesses and well-wishers.

Let’s unite to restore Masvingo to its glory!

#OurCity #OurHeritage #OutGuide

Following extensive stakeholder consultations and public notices, the City of Masvingo has launched its Restoration, Order and Safety Programme to promote a cleaner, healthier, safer, and more attractive urban environment.

The programme targets illegal vending, public health hazards, unauthorised structures, and other violations of municipal by-laws across the city centre, light industrial areas, and residential neighbourhoods.

A beautiful city begins with responsible citizens. Council calls on residents, businesses and all stakeholders to comply with municipal regulations, maintain clean surroundings and work together to protect public health, preserve the city’s beauty and restore Masvingo to its full glory.

Let us take pride in our city. Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful Masvingo!

#OurCity #OurHeritage #OurPride #OurResponsibility

The Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon. Daniel Garwe, has announced Government’s comprehensive response to the devastating hailstorm that struck Masvingo, outlining measures to provide emergency assistance, restore essential services and accelerate recovery and reconstruction.

Minister Garwe made the announcement in Masvingo during a high-level disaster assessment engagement hosted by Masvingo City Council, bringing together Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Masvingo Mayor Clr Alec Tabe, and representatives of key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

With the Provincial and District Civil Protection structures activated and the Command Centre operating from Council, Masvingo City Council remains at the centre of coordinating the city’s response and recovery efforts.

Working closely with Government and its partners, Council is focused on restoring essential services, rehabilitating critical infrastructure and rebuilding a better, stronger and more resilient Masvingo.

Together, we are working to restore Masvingo to its glorious status.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, has issued a stern warning to business operators in Masvingo that they risk losing their business operating licences for unjustified price increases and exploiting residents following the devastating hailstorm that recently hit the city.

Eng. Muguti issued the warning during a Working Committee meeting convened as part of Government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the Masvingo disaster.

Masvingo City Council will take action against and blacklist business operators found deliberately hiking the prices of essential building and hardware materials.

Council urges all business operators to act responsibly, fairly and in the public interest during this difficult period.

Let us stand together and protect the people of Masvingo.