AfricaNow! March 22, 2023 Effects of Cyclone Freddy on Malawi and Mozambique 

Topic and Guests: Cyclone Freddy which has devastated the south-east African countries of Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique started in early February this year and continued to mid-March is the longest lasting cyclone in recorded history.  It initially made landfall on February 21 in Madagascar then Mozambique.  Then Cyclone Freddy picked more strength over the Indian Ocean and made its second arrival on Mozambique and Malawi in early March.  The second wave of Cyclone Freddy was more devastating causing hundreds of thousands displaced, hundreds killed and tremendous damage to the countries’ infrastructure.  Over 500 people have died in three south-east African countries of Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique.  Malawi has been impacted the most from Cyclone Freddy and the country’s President Lazarus Chakwera has declared a 14-day national mourning period.  According to newspaper reports Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management stated that as of March 21, the death toll is 499; and 508,288 people are displaced (Government banks on partners, by Bobby Kabango, The Nation, March 22, 2023 https://mwnation.com/government-banks-on-partners/).  

Yesterday I had conversations on the effects of Cyclone Freddy on Malawi and Mozambique with: Costly Chanza, Director of Town Planning and Estates Services, Blantyre City Council in Malawi; Estacio Valoi, an investigative journalist based in Mozambique and is with the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ); and Mathews Malata, Jr., environmental rights activist and President of the Association of Environmental Journalists of Malawi. 

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--ACHISALE” BY KETURAH (also music in background of intro to segment with Valoi & Malata); break--“KURIMA” BY CHIWONISO MARAIRE; sign-off--“WATER NO GET ENEMY” BY FELA KUTI commemorating World Water Day which is today March 22; closing--“ALUTA CONTINUA” BY MIRIAM MAKEBA who would have been 91 on March 4 and play it as we continue to commemorate Women’s History Month. 

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Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

Photo 1—Effects of Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre by Jack McBrams
Photo 2—Effects of Cyclone Freddy on Soche in Blantyre by Chisomo Firestar Ndalama
Photo 3—Video Shot Effects of Cyclone Freddy by Kandani Ngwira

New tracks tagged #Weather Issues