BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
FEAR and anxiety has gripped villagers in Chimanimani ahead of another tropical storm that is expected to hit the region on New Year’s eve.
The storm, named Cyclone Chalane, is currently brewing in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar and comes nearly two years after the region was devastated by Cyclone Idai which killed 340 people, displacing 247 000 with 300 people still missing. It was one of the country’s worst recorded natural disaster.
Cyclone Chalane is expected to make landfall in Beira and hit some parts of Zimbabwe, especially Manicaland province.
Chimanimani Hotel manager Mandla Mataure, whose premises housed thousands of Cyclone Idai victims in Ngangu, said fear and anxiety had gripped villagers, adding that they had begun awareness campaigns on the issue in communities.
“What we have done now is to communicate to communities and to do this effectively, we have engaged traditional leaders who are now alerting people of a possible disaster. We will know more in the next few days if the cyclone gathers momentum.
“There is fear and anxiety within the people. We have to be prepared and this is what we are currently doing together with other stakeholders,” he said.
According to the Meteorological Services Department, Cyclone Chalane is expected to follow the path of its predecessor. Zimbabwe has not yet recovered from the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai.
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