The ManicaPost
THE weekend of March 15 to 17, 2019, brought incessant rains and strong winds that triggered flooding and landslides in Chimanimani, Chipinge, as well as parts of Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland East provinces.
Cyclone Idai, whose effects were mainly felt in Manicaland, left a trail of death and destruction. It resulted in loss of both human and animal life, damage to homes, fields, schools, roads and disruption to livelihoods.
It cut off electricity, communication and vital road links, thereby shaking the economies of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi.
This monster cyclone affected close to 300 000 people, with the flooding and landslides killing over 340 people. Others are still missing to this very day.
It has been a year since that horrific weekend and as Zimbabwe reflects on this, it is imperative to review how the nation responded to the cyclone.
In this instalment, we focus on areas in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts, which were the hardest hit.
Many places are now accessible, thanks to the work being done by the Government and its development partners.
A section of the South African National Defence Forces also reinforced construction work as they came in to work with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to construct new bridges in Rusitu and Nyaude.
The civic society and local authorities have also chipped in to provide water and sanitation services, while individuals and corporates from across the country came in with an assortment of provisions.
Indeed, a number of good practices were recorded in the response to Cyclone Idai. Zimbabweans rose above their political differences to assist the Idai survivors.
But while we acknowledge that the various stakeholders have done a lot, including rebuilding schools and road infrastructure, as well as feeding the survivors, we observe that a lot still needs to be done, especially with regards to providing permanent accommodation, rebuilding schools and provision of other psychosocial services.
One year on, there are hundreds of families that are still living in makeshift tents in Ngangu and Kopa. There are thousands of schoolchildren that are still learning in makeshift classrooms. Accessing health facilities is also still a challenge to many.
We have also noted with concern that there are several corporates that are yet to deliver their pledges on reconstructing infrastructure, including schools, roads, bridges and clinics, among others.
In April 2019, President Mnangagwa met captains of industry and made a passionate appeal for them to assist in the reconstruction of infrastructure in communities that were ravaged by Cyclone Idai.
The President launched a $614 million appeal to assist with recovery activities. The appeal identified education, emergency shelter support, health, transportation, water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure as priority areas for intervention.
In the education sector, the appeal document indicated that there were more than 100 affected schools. Accordingly, various corporates adopted the schools and made commitments to rebuild and capacitate them.
Zuva Petroleum, for instance, donated classroom furniture to five schools affected by Cyclone Idai.
Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited also undertook to rebuild a classroom block at Chikukwa Primary School in Chimanimani. While considerable progress is being made on that project and many others, the same cannot be said on some of the adopted schools.
In terms of accommodation, a pledge to build 500 new homes for the victims was made by one giant corporation, but that was the last time we heard about the issue.
This is a gentle reminder to those who might have “forgotten” that they pledged to rebuild Chimanimani and Chipinge’s infrastructure to come on board and deliver. A promise made is an unpaid debt.
We owe the people of Chimanimani and Chipinge decent accommodation. We owe them efficient health and transportation services, as well as access to portable water. Their children deserve to learn in proper classrooms. Lest we forget, they are the future.
