Cyclone Idai: SA, Motsepe donate R75m
THE government of South Africa and businessman Patrice Motsepe’s family yesterday donated a combined R75 million to victims of Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe.
The cyclone mainly affected Chipinge and Chimanimani in Manicaland Province as well as some parts of Masvingo.
The South African government donated R60 million, while the Motsepe family chipped in with R15 million.
Both South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ms Lindiwe Sisulu and the Motsepe family handed over their cheques to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo at Manyame Airbase last night.
Speaking after the donations Minister Sisulu, who was accompanied by the Motsepe family, said the donations to Zimbabwe followed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for the people of South Africa to respond to the disaster caused by the cyclone.
“We have decided as a Department of International Relations to make a financial donation apart from other donations that are coming your way,” she said.
“This is what we have brought to you at short notice to assist you provide the urgent relief to the affected,” she said handing over the cheque to Minister Moyo.
Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri commended the
GOVERNMENT has ordered schools that were affected by Cyclone Idai to close and re-open two weeks before the second term starts on May 7 saying the environment was not conducive for learning to continue.
In an interview yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo who is in Chimanimani, also said Government has availed $4 million for the reconstruction of schools in affected areas.
He said the schools which have since closed are expected to open on April 23, two weeks before the second term starts for pupils in the affected schools to make up for lost time.
“We have ordered that some schools in affected areas be closed as a way of stress reduction and rehabilitation.
“We told them to close early especially the boarding schools, even day schools because they lost a lot of things,” said the Deputy Minister.
“Our strategy now is we know that these children are traumatised, some of them from home due to deaths in the families, some of their family members are missing, the level of trauma is very high so no meaningful learning can take place in that environment that’s why we said they must close.”
Deputy Minister Moyo said schools lost stationery, furniture and some buildings were destroyed and Government had availed $4 million for their rehabilitation.
“Government has provided some money, $4 million has been provided for the reconstruction of schools.
“We are also looking at a programme to rehabilitate all other schools in the affected area,” he said.
“We are anticipating that they will open two weeks before the normal schools calendar term opens to make up for lost time. We hope that by then we would have put up rehabilitative strategies in terms of infrastructure, and also furniture and some text books. We hope that by that time we would have finished,” he said.
“The tentative date for re-opening is April 23, but it is subject to confirmation depending on the situation on the ground. Our vision is for them to open on April 23 to make up for lost time”.
The deputy minister said he feared that the $4 million allocated by Government would not be sufficient as the damage was underestimated by the people on the ground.