Malawi leader, President Lazarus Chakwera led Malawians in a funeral ceremony for over twenty victims of tropical cyclone Freddy that has ravaged the country.
The ceremony took place at Naotcha Primary School in Chilobwe Township in the city of Blantyre which is the hardest hit by the cyclone.
Speaking during the ceremony, Chakwera said he was devastated by the tragedy and appealed for more help from international partners and donors to support the survivors.
Earlier in the day, president Chakwera also visited Manja Primary School where hundreds of survivors are camping.
Meanwhile, the official death toll from the cyclone is now over 225 . 707 people have been injured while 88, 313 have been displaced and others are still missing.
Cyclone Freddy made landfall on Sunday, bringing heavy winds and rains sweeping away people, houses and crops.
President Chakwera has since declared a state of natural disaster and ordered the Ministry of Finance to release MK1.6 billion to support people affected by the devastating cyclone.
FCB Nyasa Bullets have announced the release of six players from their reserve side and one from their main team on loan transfer to Ekwendeni Hammers and Bangwe All Stars.
The players include Mphatso Magaleta from the senior team, Felix Demakude and Chikumbutso Salima from the reserve side who have joined northern region side Ekwendeni Hammers.
Magaleta, who moved to The People’s Team at the start of the 2022 campaign from Ntopwa Football Club, struggled to get game time in his debut season at the club.
According to information on the club’s website, Magaleta will not be alone at the northern region outfit as Demakude and Salima from Bullets Reserves will now get a taste of top-flight football with the Hammers.
“In his fifth season with the Reserves, Demakude showed significant development in his play as he enjoyed consistent eye-catching performances. Voted the Reserves Player of the Season, Salima was quite mesmerizing in all competitions last year and he is expected to continue developing his game,” reads part of the statement released by the club.
As Salima and Demakude will be moving to join the Hammers, four of their Reserves teammates will remain in Blantyre, having secured one-year loan transfers to TNM Super League rookies, Bangwe All Stars.
The four are goalkeeper Rahaman John who finished last season with more clean sheets than any other Reserves goalkeeper in the Southern Region Football league’s premier division, defender Yamikani Mologeni who did not miss a single competitive game for Bullets Reserves, creative midfielder Chimwemwe Yassin and forward Emmanuel Saviel, who was the Reserves’ top-goal scorer in all competitions in the 2022 season.
Malawians are yet to come to terms with the devastation Cyclone Freddy has caused in the Southern Region and other parts of the country.
To ease the suffering and save more lives, on Monday President Lazarus McCathy Chakwera instructed Dodma and other government agencies to go to the affected areas to with several interventions besides ordering the Malawi Defense Forces to be deployed in the area and further declaring a State of Disaster in the disaster areas.
Bright Msaka
But looking at the scale of the damages and suffering the Cyclone has caused in those areas, the government realises that it needs more helping hand, this is why it sounded an SOS to international and local organisations plus other well meaning Malawians to help the affected people.
While some individuals, religious organisations and other bodies have responded to President Chakwera’s call, there has been no word from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) despite the party enjoying most of its support in the affected areas.
But that is the party stance. The surprising thing though is that although the party (DPP) has not said anything let alone done anything to the affected people, Malawians expected at least some individuals in the party especially frontrunners for the July [DPP] convention to come out to assist the people they claim to be their followers.
Instead, one of those aspiring to become the President of to DPP, Bright Msaka decided come out blaming President Chakwera whose government has done everything it could and continues to do more that it has done nothing because he was not in the country when the disaster happened.
Clad in an expensive gray suit in a comfort of his sprawling Lilongwe residence, Msaka said President Chakwera should not have been away when the disaster was happening.
Surprisingly, Msaka is the DPP Vice President of Eastern region an area part of which has been hit by the disaster but he has not been bothered to go and visit despite being a Member of Parliament who has been excempted by Speaker of Parliament to go and be with their people during this trying time.
President Chakwera who Msaka was critical of has been in touch with the affairs of the country everyday. President Chakwera Chakwera arrives in the country today (Tuesday) from Qatar where he attended the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
What Msaka has done only demonstrates bad traits of leadership. Here is someone who wants to become a leader of a party but he has no regard for people he is supposed to lead. Are the victims of the Cyclone not the same people who are expected to vote for him at the convention? Isn’t this insulting their intelligence?
As one way of complementing relief and rescue efforts on the ground following the devastation caused by cyclone Freddy in some parts of the Southern Region, former Reserve Bank Governor and DPP Presidential aspirant Dr Dalitso Kabambe has taken a lead in mobilising relief support amounting to K18 million that will reach over 1000 households with food items in the affected areas of Blantyre, Thyolo, Mulanje among others.
According to Kabambe, he decided to take the lead in mobilizing the resources after the leadership of the party asked its party officials and supporters to join the government and other organisations that are on the ground rendering their support.
On Tuesday, Kabambe visited the cyclone victims in Manja and Naotcha, Chilobwe in Blantyre where he donated 300 food packs that contained 5kg cream of maize, 1kg sugar, 2kg rice, 500gm salt, 250ml cooking oil and 2 packs of soya pieces.
“We are targeting over 1000 affected households and chances are that the figure might increase as others are still making their contributions,” said Kabambe.
He said as a Malawian, he realizes that the people affected have needs that cannot be met by the government alone therefore need for others to help.
He added “These are our friends and families. We must rise beyond politics and together help the victims because the damage caused has affected a lot of people regardless of their political affiliations, religious background, economic status or tribe.
“We are all Malawians and our help is coming from Malawians going to their fellow Malawians.”
Kabambe said his family is touched with the devastation caused and they are also working to see how as a family they would move in to support communities that have been affected where they live.
He therefore, commended other private citizens that are also playing a bigger role in the relief efforts and asked all well meaning Malawians not to politicise such kind gestures as they are all rendering help as Malawians.
He said he will also be visiting victims in the districts of Thyolo and Mulanje among others, where he will be making similar donations.
Currently, the Southern Region of Malawi is a state of disaster following the devastating impact of Cyclone Freddy which has killed 190 people and left thousands displaced.
President Lazarus Chakwera has arrived in the country from his 13-day trip to Qatar and South Africa.
The president landed this afternoon through Kamuzu International Airport ( KIA) in capital Lilongwe where he was welcomed by Vice President Saulos Chilima.
Speaking to journalists, Chakwera said he is saddened by the loss of life following Tropical Cyclone Freddy which has claimed 190 lives and destroyed dozens of homes in the Southern Region.
Said the Malawi leader:”I am keen to go see for myself what has happened and it is one of those things that we look for help not just from people and partners but God himself.”
He added:”Let me heartily commend all private citizens and institutions that are already on the ground complementing government efforts in recovery of bodies, relocation of the displaced and donating various items to provide comfort for affected communities.
“You are rendering a selfless and noble service to the nation. Let us all unite in the face of this national grief.”
Chakwera left the country on March 2,2023 for Qatar to attend the 5th United Nations (UN) Conference on Least Developed Countries.
Malawians were being informed about his activities through the government’s social media platforms.
From Qatar, the president went to South Africa where the government says he carried out a number of bilateral engagements.
Recently, Chakwera declared the southern region, a State of Disaster following the effects of Cyclone Freddy.
His government has also donated 1.6 billion as the Cyclone effects response.
