Chronicle Editor
The national response to the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai enters a new phase as the search, rescue and relief stage concludes.
The cyclone, the worst weather-related disaster to hit the southern hemisphere in history according to the UN, resulted in about 260 deaths in Zimbabwe, massive displacements, emotional trauma among the survivors as well as destruction of homes, roads and other infrastructure.
Zimbabweans rose as one in a manner they had never done before to provide food, clothing, temporary shelter as well as machinery for search and rescue efforts after the March 15-17 weather phenomenon hit Chimanimani and Chipinge in Manicaland Province and Bikita in Masvingo Province. More assistance has been made available to bury those who died as a result of the calamity. The injured are being attended to at temporary clinics in Chimanimani and Chipinge and established facilities.
Zimbabweans locally and in the diaspora, local companies, non-governmental organisations and countries like United Arab Emirates, China, the US, Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa have availed much support. The UN, African Union and the European Union have contributed too. The aid that has been availed for the needs of the survivors is, in our view, so overwhelming that everyone who needs it has had it.
We have no words to describe our gratitude to those who have responded to cater for the immediate post-disaster phase of Idai.
About a month after the disaster struck, President Mnangagwa on Wednesday launched an appeal for the longer term response to the catastrophe – the reconstruction phase. Infrastructure, including schools, roads, bridges and clinics, among others have to be built, in some cases totally new ones in new places. Electricity supplies have to be restored; the same for safe, reliable water supplies.
The stage we are entering is equally important, but its cost implications are greater than the immediate post-disaster phase. We therefore, as the President stressed on Wednesday, appeal to individuals at home and abroad, local companies, development partners and friendly governments in Africa and beyond to respond positively with more reconstruction assistance estimated at US$612 million.
“I encourage you as captains of industry, churches and so on to adopt not only one but more schools to build, classrooms, water-system toilets,” said the President.
“As President, I express my deep gratitude to the people of Zimbabwe for their immediate response in terms of donations which they made.
Some, as members of the corporate world, others as single well-wishers, associations, churches and families across the country. I wish to inform you that this action, compassion from our people, continues to this day. Our people, our companies have come to assist Government to repair the damaged infrastructure in order to facilitate the delivery and access to make sure that relief and other provisions reach the communities affected by the cyclone such as water, electricity and in some areas resuscitation of commutation which has been destroyed.”
“With your support, the rehabilitation and construction of critical infrastructure which include, roads, boreholes, schools and bridges will be expedited. When we discussed this, I said I had an idea. I felt we should appeal to the private sector – of course the private sector has already put their hand but in more specific money. I said let us ask captains of industry so we discuss with them where possible where you chose a bridge, a school, a clinic, a borehole, a road – we may name that bridge, that school after your company or the chief executive of the company as sweetener.”
We note that ahead of the formal appeal by the President on Wednesday, a few entities had already indicated their willingness to offer help in that direction. Econet’s Reboot initiative pledged to spend some of the RTGS$100 million it hopes to raise on rebuilding infrastructure in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has set aside US$100 million, part of which can be spent on reconstruction in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. China, through its deputy ambassador to our country, Mr Zhao Baogang said it has US$60 billion under the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (Focac) that Zimbabwe could apply for for use in rebuilding in the two districts.
The most cost-effective funding window will be if local companies heed the President’s call. For now, the Government’s capacity to rebuild roads, bridges, schools, clinics and other costly infrastructure is limited due to the poor state of the economy. Even before Cyclone Idai struck, the Government was struggling to not only build new bridges, roads and so on, but also to rehabilitate and maintain existing infrastructure. With the Idai impact added on, the State cannot do it alone which is why we implore the local corporate sector as well as individuals to contribute in the rebuilding process. If they did, the Government will not spend anything and instead channel its limited resources to other pressing needs.
The Chinese and AfDB offers are interesting too. However, the Government will need to closely consider the pros and cons of securing loans from Focac and the AfDB to rebuild Chimanimani and Chipinge in view of the size of the existing government debt as funding from both sources will not be free money.
On another note, we find it critical to note that much of the focus of the rebuilding programme is on public infrastructure. That is good, but how will people in Chimanimani, Chipinge and Bikita rebuild their homes? They lost everything in the floods and mudslides; they lost breadwinners too thus have nowhere to start. Authorities, non-governmental organisations, development partners and financial institutions might want to explore ways through which such people can be assisted, perhaps through soft loans or free support for them to build new homes.
Online Reporter