Let’s join hands to mitigate effects of floods

A FORTNIGHT ago, we were on high alert as warnings about Cyclone Dineo and the related forceful winds, heavy rains, f looding, destruction of infrastructure and dangers to life, were doing the rounds.

Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa were in the eye of that cyclone, but as it battered Mozambique, reports that the cyclone had since been degraded to a tropical depression brought some relief.

But, it was a short-lived relief, because at the time of going to press, Government had announced the following grim national statistics resulting from the incessant rains: 246 people killed, 128 injured, 1 576 marooned, 1 985 left homeless, 74 schools damaged, 70 dams breached and five health institutions damaged.

The rains have also destroyed beyond proportion, the country’s major road network, and most roads, including major ones are now impassable — affecting movement of goods and services and human traffic.

As the rains continue pounding nationwide, President Mugabe on Tuesday saw it prudent to declare the resultant floods a state of disaster, and it is indeed a state of disaster considering not just the losses, but what it will take — to rebuild and rehabilitate the infrastructure and people’s lives.

This is not the first time that a state of disaster is declared, but it is important to understand what it means and/or implies. Some prefer to call it a state of emergency, whose severity calls for assistance from relevant State organs “to supplement local resources in preventing or alleviating damages, loss, hardship or suffering.”

By declaring a disaster and appointing an intervention team — Cabinet Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management Committee working with Provincial and District Administrators — the President was saying in light of this emergency, Government has no option, but to divert the available funding and resources, in order to finance this emergency.

The state of disaster also means that while Government can muster some financial resources to rehabilitate a number of roads and bridges, and render assistance to affected people, this, however, is a priority that requires all stakeholders to join hands with Government — be it corporates, Non-Governmental Organisations, relief agencies, the people, including those in the Diaspora.

The refurbishment of the road network is a major priority because good transport infrastructure is the backbone of the economy.

Some of the badly damaged roads are a cash cow for our economy and we cannot afford to kill that cow.

Apart from conjoining communities, in a few weeks’ time, harvesting will start and we can only say we had a bumper harvest in 2017, when that crop translates into financial gain. This will mean transporting the crop to the Grain Marketing Board.

The damaged roads also conjoin communities, and they cannot remain impassable when people need to go about their day-to-day business, including accessing schools, hospitals and clinics.

As Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, said on behalf of other ministers yesterday, the management of this disaster requires urgent unity of purpose.

Although Government has already started mobilising funds for the rehabilitation process, we believe both the print and electronic media have a major role to play, disseminating information, but the media can only execute their mandate fully when relevant stakeholders also play their part by continually updating their information.

A story of such national importance should not require journalists to get the information through their sources. Updates can be done on websites and/or social media sites.

Now is the time for us all to join hands with Government and assist in our own small way. It is not a time for throwing brickbats, when other people are suffering, living in the open, exposed to disease and lacking basics that some of us are fortunate to have.