President heads to Manicaland
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa has sent a condolence message to the families of people who lost their relatives following Cyclone Idai which hit the eastern parts of the country over the weekend.
In his address to the nation last night, President Mnangagwa said it was disheartening that more people were still missing and yet to be accounted for.
“As I address you tonight, our nation, alongside sister nations in our Southern African region, has been buffeted by a disastrous cyclone which has hit districts in three of our provinces, principally and gravely the districts of Chimanimani and Chipinge in Manicaland,” he said.
“On behalf of our grieving nation, Government and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to express my deep, heartfelt condolences and profound sympathies to all the bereaved families which have lost their loved ones.
“I, too, share affected families’ ever-mounting anxieties and distress in respect of all those still missing, and whose hopes for possible rescue diminish with each precious hour and day that passes. My heart goes out to all those who have sustained various injuries from the cyclone, all the time wishing that they rally back and recover speedily.”
President Mnangagwa continued: “From reports on hand, we now know that many drowned, while others were killed in their sleep from swift and unexpected rock falls which demolished their homes and other forms of institutional shelter. Still, others met their tragic fate from overwhelming landslides which suffocated, before swiftly burying them under. We believe that to this day, many still lie unrecovered beneath mounds of debris that hit them with such overwhelming fury in their sleep that they stood no chance.”
President Mnangagwa paid tribute to the United Arab Emirates which he visited recently for committing to assist the victims with medicines and other necessities.
He urged other well-wishers to continue coming forward to assist the affected families.
“I am grateful to the Government of the United Arab Emirates which, in the context of my just ended visit, promptly responded to my request for humanitarian assistance in the wake of the disaster,” said the President.
“We are set to receive medicines and other materials from UAE, which will go quite a long way towards alleviating our situation. Equally, I am grateful to other governments and organisations which have heeded our call for assistance. To ensure the response to the disaster is national, Government will announce focal points which will be accessible for the collection of any kind of assistance meant to complement Government efforts.”
President Mnangagwa said he was aware that the cyclone also affected other parts of the country in Mashonaland East and Masvingo province, adding that Government’s hand would also reach those areas.
to tell them that if it’s not safe, schools should be closed and where there is a need for psychological services and counselling purposes, our people are on the ground doing that,” Prof Mavima said.
He said the cyclone had resulted in the death of learners and a headmaster.
“We know that we have lost quite a number of people in Manicaland, the Charles Luwanga School is the most affected and our learners have had to be evacuated. They haven’t reached Chipinge where they are supposed to arrive before they are transferred to Mutare. They are out of danger but we know already that we lost two learners there,” Prof Mavima said. - @AuxiliaK