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Zvamaida Murwira in Midrand South Africa.

Pan African Parliament President Chief Fortune Charumbira has today called upon the African Union to quickly establish continental mitigatory measures against climate change in order to protect people from the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclones such as Freddy that has claimed more than 200 lives and left a trail of destruction in Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

The continental legislative assembly implored the international community to help Malawi whose death toll now stood at 225 after it was hit by a second wave of Cyclone Freddy this week.

Chief Charumbira said this today while delivering PAP’s solidarity and condolence message to the continental legislative body’s Committees and its organs during an ongoing meeting being held in Midrand here in South Africa.

“This devastating trail of destruction with the death toll surpassing 200 truly underscores the imperative of climate change adaptation and the urgency of establishing effective continental mitigation measures for climate change. We call on the African Union to vigorously pursue enforcement of climate justice and ensure full representation, inclusion and protection of the rights of Africans who are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Undeniably, climate change has made cyclones more intense with significant damage to the ecosystems and infrastructure,” said Chief Charumbira.

He said the cyclone had led to damage to infrastructure and water and sanitation systems.

“We pledge our solidarity as PAP to His Excellency, President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi in declaring a state of disaster in the Southern region of the country and hope this will unleash a wave of international and continental recovery mechanisms for the region. May God continue to sustain and protect our continent and may he give the people of Malawi, Mozambique Madagascar the resources and strength to rebuild and recover from these devastations,” said Chief Charumbira.

Earlier on, Malawian MP, Mr Steven Mikaya made a passionate appeal to PAP countries to assist his country in the spirit of brotherhood and Ubuntu.

He chronicled the Cyclone Freddy spawned damages, saying it will take longer to recover if no intervention is extended.

“The level of destruction, the loss of property and the decimation of the entire fabric of established communities is unprecedented. All this, is coming at a time when Malawi was starting to show signs of recovery from the deadly Civid 19 pandemic that also came hard on the heels of Cyclone Ana and Cyclone Gombe that left a similar trail of devastation and destruction in Malawi and neighbouring countries,” said Mr Mikaya.

“The Southern region has been hardest hit with widespread heavy rains and strong winds. This caused a rapid rise in water levels and subsequent flooding. Meanwhile, the power supply has been disrupted, roads blocked off and rendered impassable and mudslides have been widely reported. We are appealing for local and international support for the affected families. This is the appeal that I humbly extend to you our cousins in Pan African Parliament.”

He implored African brothers to assist.

“Let us be inspired by the positive example of Europe which rallied around Turkey after the destructive earthquake to bring much-needed relief and humanitarian aid to the people of Turkey. Let us demonstrate to the world that the African Union and its organs are not mere talk shows but effective institutions which stand up when it matters most. Alone it may take us a lifetime to fully recover but together in the Pan-Africanist spirit of Ubuntu our lives and livelihoods will return to a semblance of normality in record time,” he said.