HARARE - Madzudzo Pawadyira, the director of Civil Protection Unit (CPU), has said the department does not have enough funds to help victims of flooding countrywide.
Pawadyira told the parliamentary thematic committee on Peace and Security, that they were facing challenges in mobilising money to help victims affected by floods in Muzarabani, Masvingo and Tsholotsho.
Pawadyira said they were only allocated $500 000 by government instead of the $5 million they requested.
The thematic committee, chaired by Zanu PF Senator Damian Mumvuri, is under the ministry of Local Government.
“We had a zero budget, and as of yesterday we received $75 000 from treasury, pushing up the money to a small budget of $500 000,” Pawadyira said.
“That is too little for the task we have in helping people being affected by floods. We are engaging communities, doing exercises of disaster and risk management, trying to help people, in order to reduce the vulnerability."
“The general preparedness is there as we are alive to the hazards we are facing. But we need necessary financial support from government to carry out our work.
“Whilst we are rushing to Tokwe-Mukosi, we had problems in Tsholotsho, in Sipepa and in Muzarabani of flooding and we had to mobilise the military, police, fire brigade and air force to help us in evacuating of people to safe areas. This needs a lot of money and we had to get help from organisations like Red Cross who gave us blankets, tents, and medicines amongst many items needed.”
He said the problem was compounded with people marooned by the Tokwe-Mukosi floods, was that villagers were given money by government to relocate but had refused to move to safe areas.