Cyclone Idai survivor receives 7 death certificates from government: My 2 wives and 5 children were all swept away
Chimanimani – The air hung heavy with grief and a lingering sense of loss as families gathered at Ndima High School, a stark reminder of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Idai five years ago. A ceremony, intended to bring closure to a painful chapter, saw the handover of death certificates to relatives of 279 victims who perished in the storm, their bodies never recovered.
Among the 30 families present, Enick Makaza stood out, his heart weighed down by the burden of loss. He walked to the podium a staggering seven times, each step a testament to the unimaginable tragedy that had befallen his family. He collected death certificates for his two wives – Shylet Sabona and Letwin Jambaya – and five children – Ernest, Enrich, Silma, Shalom, and Enia Makaza – all swept away by the relentless storm from their Madhomeni home.
“Yes, this somehow consoles me and brings closure to this problem,” Makaza said, his voice thick with emotion. “I have been trying to get these civil documents so that I can know, and accept the fact that they are all dead and will never locate them. I would have loved to see all their remains, but as it stands, together with others who were affected in the same way, we just have to accept the fact that they are all gone and we will never see them again.”
Makaza recounted the harrowing events that led to his family’s demise. He described the desperate struggle to rescue his loved ones as the floodwaters rose, engulfing their home. “I had tried to rescue them from the house since a strong tide of water was almost covering the whole area. When I had instructed them to go uphill, they met a police officer who ordered them to go back, saying the water would subside. Unfortunately, the tide increased in force, and our house was struck by rock boulders, resulting in the whole family being swept away,” he said.
The ceremony, presided over by Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Engineer Benjamin Kabikira, on behalf of Minister Daniel Garwe, served as a stark reminder of the enduring impact of Cyclone Idai. The government, after a protracted five-year inquiry, has acknowledged the grim reality that the remains of the missing victims will likely never be found, leaving families to grapple with the pain of unanswered questions.