At least 224 families, who lost their homes and other properties during Cyclone Idai in March last year, are still living in tents as the government finds it hard to honour its pledge to build houses for them.
Civil Protection Unit director Nathan Nkomo in July told the National Assembly that Econet walked out of the multi-million dollar project aimed at constructing 500 houses for Cyclone Idai victims at the last minute citing poor planning by government.
Meanwhile, Edgar Seenza, the Manicaland provincial development coordinator, reportedly said the government was let down by partners who later withdrew on their pledges to build houses for the affected families.
Seeza though maintained that the government has not forgotten the victim, but is still looking for funds to provide shelter for the homeless families in Chimanimani.
According to Seenza, Econet’s withdrawal from the project and failure by China to also fulfil its pledge to build 200 houses had put government off rail.
“As you are aware, Econet promised to build 500 houses for the affected families, but they later pulled out from the deal through our head office, which is the Ministry of Local Government in Harare,” he told The Standard.
Apparently, Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume recently took a swipe at President Emmerson Mnangagwa for failing to assist the Cyclone Idai victims, after bragging that he was given real money meant to assist the affected.
Ngarivhume said after cyclone Idai, President Mnangagwa promised to help the victims with the money he was given by US President Donald Trump, but he has done nothing.
He said what is worrying is that Mnangagwa bragged that he had received ‘real’ cash to help the victims.
By ‘real’ cash Mnangagwa was talking of US dollars and even mocked his own currency, the Zimdollar.
At the time, the then 76-year-old leader stunned his audience during a tour of cyclone-hit Manicaland, after receiving a US$2,5 million donation from the United States, declared that the RTGS dollar was not “real money”.
In-between bouts of child-like chuckle, Mnangagwa showed bizarre excitement at the disaster donation, which he appeared to suggest was an endorsement from United States President Donald Trump.
“The most exciting one (donation) is Trump’s. Do you know Trump? The president of which country? From America? Yes. The ones who imposed sanctions on us. Yesterday, just yesterday, he sent his ambassador and he came with two-and-a-half million,” Mnangagwa said excitedly.
“Two-and-a-half million of their currency, not RTGS dollars, but the real currency, the real thing. Two-and-a-half million, and they said use this to help yourselves but if you have other needs that you see, you might need as well, we have a station in South Africa and we can give you more.
“The real problem now is for us to tell them what we need, that is the problem we now have, just to say what we want from Trump. Things change, one bad thing makes other things good.”
Meanwhile, Ngarivhume said he has been to one of the areas that was hit by the cyclone, and witnessed trail of destruction and no sign of repair.
Ngarivhume said it is worrying that Mnangagwa bragged being given the real money, but there is nothing to show for it as the victims are still wallowing.
“In the last 48hrs, I was in Chimanimani where I saw first hand the state of living of the Cyclone Idai survivors.
“Mnangagwa is on record confirming that he received hard currency to help the people, yet he has done nothing.
“Where did the money go? The situation is terrible,” Ngarivhume said recently.
-Zwnews
