The first rains in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai fell on Chimanimani on 12 April, once again isolating the town nearly a month after floods and mudslides left at least 169 dead and 328 missing, according to official estimates.
On Saturday morning a tractor belonging to the Zimbabwean Electricity Supply Authority was helping to pull vehicles through, but no-one was directing operations. The tractor driver just had to do his best as impatient drivers jammed up the causeway.
But the fact that official response was slow at best, and no officials were on hand to direct vehicles or provide information or assistance, was taken for granted. Citizens are accustomed to having to fend for themselves.When you are hanging off a cliff at the end of a rope, there isn’t anyone to call,” said Doug van der Ruit, a Chimanimani timber farmer who was one of a disparate group of people who led the first cyclone relief efforts.
Working with his daughter’s father-in-law, Bob Henson, who owns a small helicopter, Van der Ruit and his wife, Tempe, threw themselves into helping devastated communities and saving lives. They explored a longer route, getting as far as Skyline, a windswept ridge from which the road winds about 10km down to Chimanimani. But numerous streams that normally gurgled placidly down kloofs had been turned into raging rivers carrying trees and boulders that had washed sections of the road away.
On Wednesday 20 March the citizens leading the first response were invited to a meeting with the army brigadier general in Mutare. James said Chikanya kept saying this was now an army operation but realised the civilian organisation was so well advanced that he was amenable to them progressing.We made suggestions regarding who should get involved in transport and it was decided two forward depots were necessary, one at Wengezi and one at Chipinge. The Chipinge depot was left to government operations to run. Then we got going.
But the 4×4 club moved the first 42 tons of food relief on their bakkies via back routes. They had already been at work since the Monday, said James, with Brett Henderson winching civilian vehicles, including a Datsun loaded with a coffin, out of the mud.The government was poorly prepared, both in organisation and assets. But credit to them, they realised where their assets were and made them available.
GroundUp_News CycloneIdai: This is the tragic reality in large parts of Africa: Tragedies hit the poor the hardest in dictatorships where leaders cream off resources for themselves, travelling overseas for their medical care, and leaving ordinary citizens to fend for themselves!
GroundUp_News An exemplary country with rather stupid so called Leadership
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »
Source: News24 - 🏆 4. / 80 Read more »
Source: TheCitizen_News - 🏆 6. / 75 Read more »
Cyclone Idai's death toll nears 1,000 in Mozambique, ZimbabweThe death toll from Cyclone Idai, which devastated Mozambique and Zimbabwe last month, is nearing 1,000, according to the latest figures released by the two governments.
Source: SowetanLIVE - 🏆 13. / 63 Read more »
Source: eNCA - 🏆 49. / 51 Read more »
Source: ewnupdates - 🏆 30. / 53 Read more »
Cyclone Idai's death toll nears 1,000 in Mozambique, ZimbabweThe death toll from Cyclone Idai, which devastated Mozambique and Zimbabwe last month, is nearing 1,000, according to the latest figures released by the two governments.
Source: SowetanLIVE - 🏆 13. / 63 Read more »
Source: eNCA - 🏆 49. / 51 Read more »
Source: News24 - 🏆 4. / 80 Read more »
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »