Shongedzai Mugwagwa

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has vehemently rebutted a report in the DailyNews alleging that Manicaland victims of Cyclone Idai were being buried in pairs in one grave, the Harare Post can exclusively report.

The VP said that the report was mischievous and malicious, saying it is a taboo in the Zimbabwean culture to bury two people in one grave.

VP Chiwenga met with the sub-national Civil Protection Unit (CPU) in Mutare yesterday where he hailed and heaped praises on the Security Forces for their effort in addressing the issue and rescuing Cyclone Idai victims.

Meeting minutes which are in the possession of this publication, reveal that VP Chiwenga stated urgent priorities that the sub-national CPU should prioritise in the ravaged province.

The retired army General said that the sub-national CPU should assist in the burial of the deceased and that there was an urgent need to attend to infrastructure which was decimated by the cyclone. In this regard, VP Chiwenga said all roads and bridges affected by the Cyclone should be attended to with immediate effect.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa during his tour of the affected areas said that he would dispatch a team of engineers to address the issue of roads and bridges that were destroyed by the cyclone.

A source who attended the meeting told the Harare Post that VP Chiwenga advised the committee to ensure that aid meant for the victims reach the affected areas by 22 March 2019.

The source added that for smooth flow of distribution, the VP called for the establishment of CPU bases in Chipinge and Chimanimani which will be in correspondence with a logistics base in Mutare where all the donations and aid from well wishers will be housed for further distribution.

The United Nations has described Cyclone Idai as the worst natural disaster to hit the Southern Hemisphere and that the fatalities caused by the harsh tropical storm were not anticipated.

In that respect, the committee was advised to urge provincial CPU to improve their preparedness to natural disasters of this magnitude to minimise casualties in future.

Government has resolved to review upwards the $1000 given per household as it was seen not enough to cater for the expenses for the victims.

In the meeting, ZANU PF Manicaland Provincial chairman,  Cde Mike Madiro who is also the Home Affairs Deputy Minister said that there is need for Government to ensure that people are resettled in higher ground areas to avoid the recurrence of the same disaster.