Traditional Response to Caprivi Floods?

WHILE sympathetic about the catastrophic situation in the flood-hit eastern Caprivi, I would like to side with the head of delegation from the Prime Minister’s office, Ndeutapo Amagulu, who says that people who find themselves in this precarious situation are to blame beause they have been forwarned.

It is a century-old norm that residents of these areas always trek to higher ground and areas where floods are not likeli. To find themselves in such a situation is out of pure disregard of a yearly phenomenon that has been uninterrupted since time immemorial.It’s also a sad situation that apart from material loss, there is human cost involved and I pledge my vote of thanks to the evacuation teams working tirelessly to help displaced masses to dry land.On a point of correction, the movement from flood plains is always done yearly around September and October when rains are expected and recently people have been overwhelmed by floods whereas this used to be a time when people enjoyed aquatic delicacies – rather than mourning the loss of beloved ones.Residents of these areas do not even need the warning of flood experts as this is something that happens every year.Lastly, I offer my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones under such tragic circumstances.To the donors and teams in the field a big Thank You and well done.Mwilima Mwilima “Mwilima (GM)”To find themselves in such a situation is out of pure disregard of a yearly phenomenon that has been uninterrupted since time immemorial.It’s also a sad situation that apart from material loss, there is human cost involved and I pledge my vote of thanks to the evacuation teams working tirelessly to help displaced masses to dry land.On a point of correction, the movement from flood plains is always done yearly around September and October when rains are expected and recently people have been overwhelmed by floods whereas this used to be a time when people enjoyed aquatic delicacies – rather than mourning the loss of beloved ones.Residents of these areas do not even need the warning of flood experts as this is something that happens every year.Lastly, I offer my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones under such tragic circumstances.To the donors and teams in the field a big Thank You and well done.Mwilima Mwilima “Mwilima (GM)”