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By Wallace Mawire
Touched by the devastating Tropical Cyclone Freddy which ravaged Malawi and killed many nationals of the Southern African country, including maiming many, Zimbabwe’s business sector is joining the rest of the global well-wishers to offer help and support to the troubled communities of the country.
According to authorities as of 21 March 2023, the death toll from the passage of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi had risen to 507, with at least 537 people still missing and over 553 600 people displaced in more than 540 sites.
According to Wadzanai Manyame, Executive Secretary of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe (BCSDZ), the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) is coordinating and mobilizing the business community in Zimbabwe to contribute to the Malawi tropical Cyclone Freddy disaster relief.
“The business sector is being kindly requested to assist by donating any material that could be of assistance to those that have been affected.CZI has partnered with the Zimbabwe Red Cross as the disaster response partner,” Manyame said.
An appeal and call to action pamphlet by the two partners say that as Zimbabwean businesses they trade and do business with Malawi and in this hour they lend a hand to their neighbours.
The partners are appealing for such items as foodstuff, and non-food items such as blankets, clothing, kitchen utensils, hygiene soaps, towels, sanitary pads, tents, and bags, just to mention a few.
According to media reports, Cyclone Freddy first made landfall on February 21 in Madagascar. From there, the storm moved on to Mozambique and then back across the Indian Ocean. On March 11, 2023, it is reported to have reached Mozambique for the second time and then moved to Malawi causing a lot of deaths and devastation.