THE Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) has hailed weather experts for effectively using the media to dispatch information about Cyclone Dineo currently sweeping across the country.
BY SILAS NKALA
MIHR yesterday said it conducted a survey where at least 88% of people in Matabeleland South province confirmed to have received information via SMS, radio and newspapers.
The Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe and Civil Protection Unit last week predicted that the cyclone would leave a trail of destruction in Matabeleland and Masvingo provinces, and warned people in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground.
“Thirty-four percent of the respondents received the information via SMS, 23% got it on radio, 23% heard from other community members, 7,6% read it in the newspapers, 7,6% heard from community leaders (councillors and teachers) and 3,8% heard from social media,” the MIHR report read.
“Most of the respondents said they heard that the cyclone is heavy rain accompanied by heavy storms and it will rain for days. Some of the respondents further explained that they heard that the cyclone is from Mozambique and is expected to hit the province as from February 16, 2017.”
“Most of the respondents said the safety information they received included not staying next to rivers or low-lying areas, not moving from home during the storms, parents to guard children closely and to evacuate to higher ground,” MIHR said, adding the alerts could have been more effective had them been communicated in local languages.
