The Malawi leader on Thursday appeared before the national assembly in the capital Lilongwe where he presented what he described as “a sobering report on the devastation that our country has suffered from the unprecedented assault inflicted on us by Tropical Cyclone Freddy.”
The President told the lawmakers that “this monstrous cyclone induced torrential rains and caused flooding in 14 districts in the south of Malawi, which is half of the districts in the country” killing over 500 and displacing thousands, and causing untold destruction to people as well as public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, hospitals, and houses.
The President counseled the law-makers:
“However, we must remember that the work of rebuilding is ours to do as a nation and as a people, and so I call on all of you to put aside politics and join hands with the Malawians you represent to help them reclaim what they have lost.”
The President also asked for support from the legislators pertaining to the new legislation his Administration will be bringing to the August House to regulate the management of disasters better going forward and to regulate the relocation of people from disaster-prone areas and give them more resilience in the face of future disasters.
