People yet to relocate as heavy rains loom
As weather experts warn of looming heavy rains and flooding, thousands of Malawians are stuck in known danger zones where hundreds died from flooding and mudslides caused by Cyclone Freddy last year.
Preliminary forecasts show that the country is likely to receive above-normal rainfall with the likelihood of devastating floods due to La Nina weather pattern.
This comes in contrast to the El Nino phenomenon which triggered prolonged drought in the Southern Region last rainy season.
However, a visit to Chilobwe and Manja brings into view an endangered community where people are reconstructing homes in areas battered by mudslides.
This brings into question government commitment to relocate the at-risk community to safer zones.
Shortly after the disaster, authorities announced that they had secured 300 hectares in Mapanga.
However, the drive has faced mounting resistance from both vulnerable and host communities.
Some residents in the mudslide-prone hill want government to build safe houses for them before they can relocate while Mapanga natives are demanding compensation for their land.
In an interview, Soche Hill resident John Kalyolyo said: “When it rains I remember the tragedy that happened during Cyclone Freddy and fear it may happen again.
“I am willing to relocate, but are we going to find houses there or we will have to start from a scratch?”
When asked about progress in the government-backed relocation drive, Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula pushed the buck to local government councils, saying the department only facilitates the exercise. However, Dodma last year was quick to claim triumph following the relocation of over 500 families from Kanseche and Matsukambiya in Chikwawa, which were battered by cyclones Ana and Gombe.
Freddy tragedy killed 736 of nearly 2.2 million affected people across the southern Region, leaving 2171 injured and 537 still missing.
In an interview, Blantyre City Council Chief Executive Officer Dennis Chinseu said with the new law, the council might use force and declare disaster-prone sites no go zones if households refuse to relocate.
Said Chinseu: “The Disaster and Risk Management Act lays down a process to be followed. So, an area can be declared risk-prone so that people relocate. But in case one refuses and meets disaster, then it’s not government’s fault. Force can also be used where necessary.”
According to Chinseu, the relocation drive is expected to start this month.
Two months before the onset of the potentially tragic rainy season, the council says it is finalising groundwork in Mapanga.
Post-disaster assessments by Dodma and development partners show frequent disaster cost Malawi K2.1 trillion between 2015 and 2023.
The country requires about K2.9 trillion to recover from the battering, Dodma reports
