by Christopher Makaza

Government is prepared to deal with anticipated disasters that are likely to occur during the 2020/2021 rainfall season, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Speaking during the Thirty-Sixth Post Cabinet Press Briefing in the capital yesterday, Local Government and Public Works, Minister July Moyo informed the Cabinet that with the high rainfall amounts expected during the 2020/2021 rainfall season, Government had adequately prepared to deal with anticipated disasters.

"This is in view of the widespread damage experienced in the past cyclone Dineo in 2017 and cyclone Idai in 2019. Accordingly, the National Contingency Plan for the 2020/2021 rainfall season has been crafted to deal with  wide range of hazards expected which may include flash flooding, severe thunder, wind and hail storms,  slides and major human and animal diseases as well as crop pest outbreaks," said the Minister.

Cabinet resolved to capacitate departments that are critical in early warning systems and approved a budget amounting to US$32 million for the facilitation of early recovery from potential adverse impacts from the 2020/2021 rainfall season.

Meanwhile, the Department of Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has activated disaster management teams to deal with possible calamities that may occur as a result of the forecasted heavy rains in most parts of the country.

Director of the Department of CPU, Nation Nkomo recently revealed that the structures that were used in the management of COVID-19 across the country had been activated to also attend to possible disasters.

The country is expected to receive normal to above normal rainfall in the coming rain season due to the La Nina phenomenon. According to the Meteorological Services Department (MSD), the country will have an early rainy season starting with scattered rainfall this month with more effective rains expected in November throughout December in most parts of the country.