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Tina Musonza

Herald Correspondent

Malawi and Mozambique have expressed gratitude for support rendered to them by Zimbabwe towards their recovery from the devastating effects of the recent Cyclone Freddy.

This follows the donation of US$6 000 from Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI) in Zimbabwe to help rehabilitate the two countries following the damage caused by the cyclone.

Addressing the media in Harare yesterday after receiving the donation from Malawi’s deputy Ambassador Major General Elias Mpaso and Mozambican Embassy’s first secretary Edward David Zimba said the donation received by their countries will further assist in redressing the damage faced by their countrymen.

Maj-Gen Mpaso said SADC countries were helping revamp Malawi back into shape.

“On behalf of Malawi, we are grateful to the country for the assistance that we have received from different countries in the region,” he said. “Mostly Zimbabwe has come to our assistance. So much to our expectation.

“People in Malawi are very grateful for that assistance. So far from the assistance we have received from the region, the Government is now able to relocate people back into their original homes where they can settle and renew their lives.

“We are very thankful to the region and Zimbabwe in particular for assisting us timely. This helped our people at a very crucial time when they needed help the most.”

Maj-Gen Mpaso said the donation would go a long way in rehabilitating the southern region of Malawi which was mostly devastated, with over 500 people still missing, but searches going on.

Mr Zimba said for Mozambique, the damage caused by Cyclone Freddy was beyond their control and required help from the region.

“For our country, the damage of Cyclone Freddy was substantial to infrastructure, to the people,” he said. “It affected 4 to 5 provinces in Mozambique and that’s actually a lot.

It’s more than 5 000 kilometres of loss, 304 000 hectares of land that is no longer usable. More than 1 000 schools, children are displaced and we are grateful for the help we are receiving from our neighbours.”

MEFMI executive director Louis Austin Kasekende said the donation to the two countries sought to give them a starting point on the relocation exercise.

“Today we are standing with the people of Malawi and Mozambique following the devastation by Cyclone Freddy,” he said. MEFMI has made a contribution to the two countries of US$3 000 to each country.”

Cyclone Freddy was an exceptionally long-lived, powerful, and deadly storm that traversed the southern Indian Ocean for more than five weeks in February and March 2023.