Despite having 2 500 houses collapsing due to the ravaging effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy, Bangwe Township in Blantyre has recorded no death.

According to Mthandizi Ward councillor Isaac ‘Jomo’ Osman this is due to the shifting of residents from disaster-prone areas before the tragedy struck.

Mtambo and Jomo present a bag to one of the survivors

Speaking when former Civic Education and National Unity minister Timothy Mtambo, who is also League of Transformation patron, donated food items to survivors at Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement (Ayise) resource centre in Bangwe on Sunday, he said messages from the meteorological experts led them to sound the alarm to residents in good time to avert tragedy.

Osman said: “We knew most of the houses are constructed from unburnt bricks. So, we alerted residents to move out of their houses to safe places.

“That is why Bangwe has recorded no death although so many houses were destroyed.”

Mtambo, who is commander in chief of Citizens for Transformation, said members of the league contributed individually towards the purchase of maize flour, cooking oil, soya pieces, eggs, and pieces of cloth for the 800 survivors at the camp.

“This tragedy transcends politics, religion, and culture. The league believes in coexistence. It believes in love, hope, and unity and that was the message we brought the survivors,” he said. Mtambo observed that government efforts alone cannot sort out the humanitarian needs brought by the inundation in March.

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