Mutharika chastised govt over failure to heed cyclone Freddy

Former President Peter Mutharika has accused the Chakwera administration for failing to evacuate people in cyclone Freddy disaster hit areas before the calamity occurred.

Speaking on Saturday in Mangochi when he donated relief items to cyclone Freddy survivors, Mutharika said the warnings of the coming of cyclone Freddy were issued but the government did not take heed.

He said reluctance by the government to take heed of the cyclone Freddy warnings led to the death of nearly 700 people in the southern region.

He said authorities in Mozambique managed to evacuate people before the Cyclone, which he says minimised the number of deaths.

“The Mozambique government evacuated people before the Cyclone and kept them in hotels and other areas, while here they waited for the disaster that is why we lost a lot of lives than in Mozambique where only 66 people died,” he says.

He further called for unity when implementing interventions meant for the support of cyclone victims by making sure that all people affected are being reached without discrimination.

Mutharika visited Samama primary school and Mponda evacuation camps where he donated maize floor, beans and other food items.