By ZimTracker

Hundreds of Zimbabwean nationals who perished when Cyclone Idai struck Chimanimani in March 2019 remain in pauper’s graves in Mozambique.

They were given pauper’s burials by the locals there who felt compassionate about the dignity of the dead after their bodies were washed away by the deadly Cyclone.

The Mozambicans also circulated pictures of the deceased to Zimbabweans who yearned to know the fate of their relatives that had gone missing.

The Zimbabwean government made promises to retrieve the bodies, and promised exhumation when the cyclone receded.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo, who also chaired the Inter-ministerial Committee on Civil Protection told the state run Herald on 02 April 2019 on the sidelines of a tour of cyclone-hit areas in Bikita, Masvingo province that government would facilitate that locals who lost their loved ones visit some of these burial places in Mozambique.

“We, however, want to thank communities in Mozambique who are close to Chimanimani for the help they offered to bury the remains of our people. There is a place where 60 bodies were found and another 15 and also another seven and they buried them as they could not keep them anymore.

“Right now we are not in a hurry for the interred bodies in Mozambique to be exhumed though that might be done later on when the situation normalises. We also have a team of pathologists that will help in the identification of some of the deceased through DNA tests on the remains of recovered unidentified bodies.

“In actual fact, I would encourage the Ministers of State or Governors in neighbouring Mozambique to work with their counterparts in Manicaland and Masvingo here in Zimbabwe. Very close links must be maintained between them,” said Minister Moyo.

Three years later, the locals haven’t been taken to some of the burial places in Mozambique as promised by July Moyo.

On 10 April 2022, Department of Civil Protection director Nathan Nkomo told state-run Herald daily that the government would deploy pathologists in June to commence the exhumation and repatriation of more than 157 Zimbabweans swept into Mozambique for reburial. He revealed this while giving remarks during the commemoration of World Health Day in Harare.

He said the re-burial process was going to be led by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in conjuction with the uniformed forces.

“As for the exhumations and re-burial, we could not go to Mozambique, it was a diplomatic issue. Only two months ago we had that Bi-national commission with Mozambique and finally two weeks ago we were granted the permission to go to Sussundenga and start exhuming our 157 people who are still in Mozambique.

“I am happy the Ministry of Health and Child Care has put in place a team which will be led by pathologists through the department under Dr (Maxwell) Hove, the Chief Director Curative Services. That team is already in place which includes our uniformed forces to go and undertake what I think is an arduous exercise in the Dombe district of Sussundenga,” Nkomo is quoted as saying.

He urged the Cyclone Idai survivors who lost their loved ones in Chimanimani to cooperate with officials when they visit the area for DNA samples collection

But despite the promises, the families that survived have all but given up hope of ever knowing the fates of their loved ones and they now feel government’s promise was a long shot from the start.