BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
The National Assembly recently held an urgent debate on the state of national disaster preparedness, with lawmakers warning that the current lack of resources at the district level is costing lives
During the session, Clemence Chiduwa presented a somber report on a tragedy in Zaka South where two men died after being marooned for twelve hours following the capsizing of their boat . Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, he told the House, “The loss of life in Zaka South was not a local tragedy; it is a national warning as this is also happening in other districts”
Chiduwa argued that the failure of local units to respond quickly is a symptom of broader underfunding and lack of equipment, stating, “It reminds us that the disaster response delayed is disaster response denied”. He further observed that “institutions without tools cannot save lives,” calling for the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) to be adequately resourced with the machinery and financial support necessary for timely road and bridge rehabilitation.
Addressing these concerns, the Speaker of Parliament reminded the members that the state must utilize its existing resources, particularly the military’s air capabilities which have proven effective in the past.
The Speaker specifically highlighted previous successful interventions, noting, “The helicopters from the army are always ready to come in and they have done so in the past, especially during Cyclone Idai and also when there were floods in Tsholotsho”.
To improve response times in flood-prone areas across Matabeleland North, the Speaker proposed the implementation of a national emergency line. He suggested that “what we need to really push for is hotline availability to all districts, if not all wards, so that as soon as they experience that, they phone that hotline straight to headquarters and the army will react accordingly”. This initiative aims to ensure that communities like Tsholotsho can bypass local infrastructure failures and receive immediate military assistance during future flood events.