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Takunda Maodza
EFFORTS to relocate victims of Cyclone Idai still living in tents have gathered pace, with Chimanimani Rural District Council now completing the pegging of stands at Nhedziwa Growth Point.

Hundreds of victims of the cyclone which ravaged Chimanimani and Chipinge last March are still living in tents, and resource constraints have slowed down their relocation.

Government has repaired roads and bridges that were destroyed by the tropical cyclone after it issued 21 contracts last August.

New Chimanimani District Development Coordinator Mr Joseph Manyurapasi said they were forging ahead with plans to relocate the victims to safer areas.

“The pegging of stands has been completed. The local authority is now putting in road infrastructure.

“We anticipate that by end of this month, the local authority would have drilled a borehole. There is also a component of sanitation,” he said.

When asked on the numbers likely to be moved to Nhedziwa, Mr Manyurapasi said: “Some are not comfortable being relocated to Nhedziwa, and not all people living in tents are supposed to be allocated residential stands. Some had bought stands from the local authority and had paid for them in full.

“Some in tents had no properties, and these will be given priority so that they have shelter.

“However, we are still to carry out a final verification exercise,” he added.

Three sites have been identified as possible relocation areas for the cyclone victims. These are Greenmount, the Flats and Nhedziwa.

Lay out plans had been done by September last year. According to the plans, Nhedziwa will have 633 residential stands, 18 commercial, nine institutional and 12 industrial.

Earlier plans were that Government and its partners were going to build houses for the cyclone victims.

Those with capacity to build their own houses will now be given residential stands at such places as Nhedziwa.