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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke, Harare Bureau

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has advised President Mnangagwa to delay his visit to graves of 158 Zimbabweans who were swept away by Cyclone Idai floods across the border because the area is still inaccessible and unsafe.

President Mnangagwa revealed this in Mutare yesterday during a briefing with officials from the provincial Department of Civil Protection ahead of his meeting with traditional leaders from Chimanimani and Chipinge.

The meeting with the chiefs is meant to chart the way forward on the reconstruction of the Cyclone Idai ravaged areas.

“I had instructed members of JOC (Joint Operations Command) and the Minister of State for Manicaland Affairs (Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba) to assess if we can visit the graves in Mozambique where our loved ones were buried,” said President Mnangagwa. 

“But we received advice from President Nyusi that the area is not safe at the moment. Apparently, there are no facilities there. The Mozambican government is looking into the logistics to make sure the visit becomes possible.” 

President Mnangagwa expressed his desire to visit the places where Zimbabweans who were swept into Mozambique by Cyclone Idai floods were buried to pay his respects and look into the construction of proper graves for them.

 He said he had wanted to visit Mozambique during this visit to Manicaland, but his counterpart, President Nyusi, had advised against the visit as the areas were still not accessible.

More than 150 Zimbabweans who were washed away across the border by the cyclone floods were buried in Dombwe, Mozambique.

President Mnangagwa said it was important for him and his officials to visit the graves to pay their respects and ensure that decent graves are built.

“Officials including myself, should in future visit the graves of 158 of our people who were buried in Mozambique and pay our respects and possibly construct decent graves for them as we have done for those who were buried here,” he said.

The President said last month Government sent a team of pathologists to help in the identification of some of the deceased through DNA tests on the remains of recovered unidentified bodies.