By Kudakwashe Vhenge recently in Chimanimani
Before Cyclone Idai stroke Kopa growth point, a busy hub linking the farming community, small scale miners and hordes of villagers in the Chimanimani and Chipinge district, life was normal and flourishing.
A nearby small town community which was affectionately known as “Kuma ARDA” as it housed a lot of government employees mainly from the Agriculture Development Authority located in ward 21 of Chimanimani constituency under Chief Dzingire has been identified as one of the most affected areas in the district.
The seemingly urban settlement was situated near the Nyahode and Rusitu rivers which are tributaries to Musapa which flows all the way to neighbouring Mozambique.
The whole community was completely wiped out and an estimated 300 people went missing with only five bodies having been accounted for to date.
Enock Makaza (37) is a survivor of the tropical storm, who lived in the location for 3 years with his two wives and four children.
The catastrophe on the eve of Friday 15 March 2019 changed his life for the worst. He lost his whole family to the floods.
While being celebrated for making tremendous efforts to save lives of other survivors, his heroic actions did not yield favorable reward to him as he is still failing to come to terms with what befell his family.
Such is the story of many other survivors who narrated their stories to Bustop TV during a recent visit to the Chimanimani area. They lost their immediate family members and loved ones as well as personal valuables.
More than a year has elapsed since the 2019 devastating tropical Cyclone which tore through Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe killing thousands of people and leaving a trail of destruction.
According to United Nations, Cyclone Idai is reported to be the deadliest disaster ever to strike the Southern hemisphere in recent times affecting an estimated 3 million people with more than 1000 deaths and hundreds still missing.
In Zimbabwe, the most affected areas were Chimanimani and Chipinge districts where agriculture, schools, clinics and road infrastructure were destroyed, reduced to rubble and people left homeless.
Driving towards Kopa Shopping Centre, one is welcomed by doted white tents of a Camp site known as Kopa Camp which houses almost 100 families who survived the overflows.
Tents donated as temporary shelter by the United Nations refugee agency after government failed to resettle its citizens has become their permanent dwellings. There are no tangible efforts to relocate them.
Clever Mundeta (64) chairperson of the committee set up by Kopa Camp resident survivors lamented over their poor living conditions, a result of abandonment by responsible authorities.
“When we were brought here after the destruction of our houses and properties, we were told that this is a temporary arrangement and a place for permanent residence is still being located. We all thought that by now we would have been relocated to Buma as we had been told by our local authorities.
“Here we are facing a lot of problems such as security; we cannot afford to move around leaving our valuables in tents as thieves easily break in and steal. Issues of sanitary are not to mention as you can see that the whole camp shares that ablution facility you see built over there.
Joshua Sacco, member of parliament for Chimanimani is on record having pleaded for patience as he said the government is in the process of relocating the victims to Ngangu.
According to Sacco, three possible farms have been identified for relocation but the government lacks the funding to demarcate housing stands on the farm, build roads and provide infrastructure such as water and electricity.
Another survivor, Loraine Sithole (30) walks up and down the rocky area of what was her place of residence narrating how she lost her 7 year old daughter, Kailer on the fateful night.
She bemoaned the minimal assistance which has been rendered to the victims of cyclone as they are still living in tents whilst support is being given to those living in the villages who were least affected by the catastrophe.
The initial ample food, cash and clothing donations have now become a rare occurrence in the displaced camps, she narrated. When they do come, they do not meet the indented beneficiaries particularly those living in the camps.
Post trauma disorders are prevalent in the area and some counseling services had been offered by various organizations including the government.
Post trauma is a mental disorder characterized by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. The condition is said to last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions.
Netsai Magurira (32) who had a daughter who survived death by a whisker has since sent her to stay with her sister in Mt Darwin with the hope that she recovers from the psychological problems that she has been experiencing.
“I have since sent my little daughter to stay with my sister in Mt Darwin so that she stabilizes mentally as she was being disturbed by the slightest of noises. When it gets cloudy and about to rain, she would be heavily distressed and even her performance in school had heavily deteriorated.
With more than a year having passed by after the devastating floods, a lot still needs to be done to take care of the survivors by providing them with basic amenities as well as finding a permanent solution to all their needs.
