GWERU Urban MP Sessel Zvidzai (MDC-T) on Thursday called for introduction of disaster-risk budgeting, saying government had failed to respond effectively to national disasters.
VENERANDA LANGA
He said the government failed to respond effectively to the recent floods at Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam in Masvingo that affected about 20 000 people.
Zvidzai said it was an embarrassment for the country that whenever natural disasters struck, government had to depend on philanthropists to assist the affected communities.
He was introducing his motion in the National Assembly on disaster preparedness where he said if government had a disaster budget, ministers were not going to be embarrassed after they were booed and chased by victims of floods at Chingwizi camp.
“There is need for local solutions to natural disasters and victims should be consulted to find out how they want the relocation to take place, instead of driving them to dry land like Chingwizi [transit] camp where there is no hope, and that is the reason why when ministers visited there, they came back humping,” Zvidzai said.
“Disasters should not always find us with no pants on and what we need is a disaster fund and during budget time, we should look at disaster budgeting,” he said.
Zvidzai said it was worrisome that some roads and bridges at places such as Gokwe Nembudziya and Chiredzi were still not repaired 10 years after they were destroyed by incessant rains and flooding.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“We even call some roads black spots as they are accident prone, but it is because that road has not been attended to,” he said.
“There are no black spots, but it is lack of planning. Disasters are not a political or partisan issue and they do not choose to affect palm-wavers (MDC-T) or fist-beaters (Zanu PF) — they just come and kill.”
Zvidzai said government institutions like the meteorological department should be fully equipped as they were pivotal in foretelling forthcoming disasters.
“It is sad that when disaster strikes as a nation, we do nothing except depend on philanthropists or prayer. The Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Joseph Made had repeatedly prayed that we have good rains. Governments should not pray, but they should act.”
