By Grecium Gama:
One and a half months after Tropical Cyclone Freddy struck the Southern Region, residents in some of the locations severely battered by the storm are defying government restrictions by rebuilding houses in areas deemed unsafe for settlement.
They argue that this is due to the fact that promised relocation exercises, which were supposed to allocate them new sites for rebuilding, have faltered.
For many, the decision to rebuild in these unsafe areas is based on the dwindling hope of being relocated elsewhere.
Victor Lufa, a resident of Nkhulambe Village in Traditional Authority Nkhulambe in Phalombe District, has been living in a rented home, clinging to the hope of a new beginning.
Frustrated by the prolonged wait, he shares the harsh reality facing victims who are returning to their former homes.
“We have endured temporary living conditions for over a year without the ability to farm. We were told it was just for a little while, but this is no way to live. It feels as though the government has forgotten us,” Lufa said.
Hunger has severely impacted families that were unable to cultivate their land last year due to the uncertainty surrounding their future.
The struggle to survive has pushed many to take matters into their own hands, choosing to rebuild where they once thrived.
Phalombe District Council Chairperson Agson Sopho acknowledged the dire circumstances faced by the survivors.
“We see the hunger and instability they are enduring. We are committed to finding a viable relocation solution. We urge companies and non-governmental organisations to step in and assist in this critical process,” Sopho said.
While some of the survivors have been earmarked to receive food aid from the government, their other concern is that with the arrival of the rainy season, their lives could be at risk in these unsafe locations.
Confirmed as the longest-lasting cyclone on record and the most powerful to hit the southern hemisphere, Freddy left over 1,200 people dead and displaced more than 650,000 others.
