Deputy Minister for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting deputy minister Energy Mutodi said people should have vacated following advance warnings of Cyclone Idai.
Government did not have capacity to evacuate everyone before Cyclone Idai struck. Said Mutodi:
Warnings were issued to people through the meteorological services department and those residing in affected areas were supposed to seek shelter in safer zones, but you know people normally do not want to leave their homes. Government did not have enough to vacate everyone.
However, civil society and politicians have blamed Government for its slow response to Cyclone Idai. Nelson Chamisa, through his spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda, said the disaster should not have claimed so many lives considering that warnings about the cyclone were issued well in advance. Election Resource Centre (ERC) boss Tawanda Chimhini said government should have been proactive considering the country has experienced similar disasters before.
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