Stations didn’t warn of cyclone

Weather broadcasters in SA have come short.

Tropical cyclone Idai, which developed on the Mozambique channel, received no priority on SA weather broadcasts.

The tropical cyclone was not the strongest we have seen in the world, but it caused extensive damage to Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

By the time the cyclone made landfall it was a category two storm.

But it brought strong winds and torrential rain, which caused flooding.

What struck me is that American broadcasters covered the cyclone extensively even though they are miles away.

African broadcasters still do not do enough to cover weather phenomena.

Watching videos of the aftermath of the storm suggests that evacuations were not carried out before the storm made landfall.

People can be seen having climbed trees, some being rescued stuck in rubble.

With climate change being a reality, tropical cyclones will become frequent phenomena.

Africa needs to develop mechanisms to save lives and minimise damage.

Advancements in technology should allow African governments to be proactive.

I believe that if the SABC and other broadcasters had put a spotlight on the imminent weather disaster, damage would have been minimised.

Had information been made available, lives would have been saved.

Samkelo Latakisa

Port Elizabeth