South Africa will provide tons of maize meal to the people of Zimbabwe who were affected by severe flooding caused by the tropical cyclone Idai weather system in 2019.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Minister Naledi Pandor will travel to Zimbabwe on Africa Day, 25 May 2021, to officially hand over the first shipment.
“His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa will receive the consignment on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe at the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe,” the department said.
The department said South Africa responded to an appeal from the Zimbabwean government in 2019 for humanitarian assistance.
DIRCO said this was in response to infrastructure destruction and loss of human life caused by severe flooding.
According to ReliefWeb, the largest humanitarian information portal in the world, at least 82 deaths and over 200 injuries were reported, mainly in Chimanimani, while 217 people went missing.
Through the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund (ARF), the department said South Africa pledged R50 million in humanitarian support to assist those affected by the cyclone in Zimbabwe.
The assistance consists 450 000 bags of 12.5 kg maize meal to be distributed to the affected families.
“The outbreak of the COVID-19 delayed the implementation of the project, which will now be completed by September 2021.”