Cyclone Chalane: Govt will not forcibly evacuate villagers

GOVERNMENT has indicated that it will not forcibly evacuate villagers in the event that the tropical storm, Cyclone Chalane hits the country on New Year's Eve as expected. Manicaland Provincial Development Co-ordinator and Civil Protection Unit (CPU) chairperson Edgar Seenza yesterday told NewsDay that the government would today (Monday) start to move Cyclone Idai displaced persons in Chimanimani from tents to safe centres as it also prepare to deal with the possible effects of Cyclone Chalane.

Cyclone Idai struck Zimbabwe in March 2019, affecting 270 000 people. The storm and subsequent flooding and landslides left 340 people dead and 300 others missing. Chimanimani and Chipinge districts were hardest hit.

Seenza said the government had already mobilised Zupco buses and lorries to evacuate people to safer places before Cyclone Chalane struck.

“We intend to start to move the cyclone-displaced persons from the tents in Chimanimani, and then we focus on people who are dangerously located in areas in Ngangu among other places,” Seenza said.

“The Chimanimani district civil protection committee will move the Cyclone Idai displaced persons to St Patricks High School and Nyanyadzi High School, respectively. The tents had 224 persons but the number of people going to evacuation centres would be less.

“Zupco buses and lorries will carry the villagers' items, and we are encouraging those who are being evacuated to take their blankets. So far we are mobilising for blankets and food,” he said.

Seenza said the evacuation of people to safe places would be done in phases, adding that they were not forcing people to vacate their homes.

“We have no legislation that forces us to remove people from their homes but we are convincing them to do so. At the moment we have not faced any resistance,” he said.

He said all the seven districts in Manicaland province were on high alert.

He said the Meteorological Services Department would be giving them six hourly updates as Cyclone Chalane has already hit Madagascar over the weekend.

Seenza added that evacuated villagers would first go to assembly points where their names will be registered before they were taken to the evacuation centres.