Exhibition of the Cyclone Idai Events

1. 2023 ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION
CYCLONE IDAI - NOTHING TO LOVE
Re-living Disaster in
Manicaland
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2. Zimbabwe experienced torrential
rainfall caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai
from the 15th to 17th of March 2019.
Cyclone Idai is regarded as one of the
worst tropical cyclones on record to
affect Africa and the Southern
Hemisphere as a whole. It left behind a
trail of destruction of lives, livelihoods
and the environment of a magnitude
not recorded before in Madagascar,
Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
This exhibition relives the disaster in
Manicaland in memory of those who
lost their lives and livelihoods. In
addition it aims to raise awareness on
the natural disasters and the need for
preparedness to limit their impact.
CYCLONE
IDAI
HITS
Video

3. In Zimbabwe, Cyclone Idai
caused high winds and high
precipitation in the Eastern
Districts of Chimanimani,
Chipinge, Buhera, Nyanga,
Makoni, Mutare, Bikita,
Masvingo and Gutu.
Chimanimani district received
the heaviest rains that led to
extensive tree falls, flooding
and landslides which drastically
altered the landscape. The
event will therefore remain
etched in the memories of the
current generation.

4. About 50 000 households translating
to 250 000 people (including 120 000
children) were affected by flooding
and landslides in Zimbabwe. As of 20
June 2019, 347 people had been
reported dead, 200 injured and 344
people were missing. The missing
people are now presumed to be
deceased. In Manicaland Province
59 125 people were internally
displaced.
Although in Shona language ‘Idai’
means ‘Love’, the devastation led the
affected communities to conclude that
‘there was nothing to love’ in light of
the negative impacts of the Cyclone.

5. More than hundred people in Ngangu lost
their lives and severeal are still missing.
Some of the missing people were presumed
to have been covered by mud and massive
rocks that were swept onto the settlement
by torrential rains.
Sniffer dogs handled by South African
experts were deployed to search for the
missing people. However, mechanical
excavations failed to recover any bodies.

6. Chaotic scenes in Ngangu

8. At Kopa Settlement on the
confluence of Nyahode and Rusitu
Rivers approximately 147
households of about 1000 people
were destroyed by a combination
of floods and a deadly river load of
massive rocks and uprooted trees
that thundered along the river
channels. At least 150 people were
unaccounted for soon after the
cyclone.
KOPA
DISASTER

9. A Zimbabwe Republic Police base at
Kopa that acted as distress centre
during the disaster was slept away
together with inmates and people who
were seeking shelter.
Some bodies were washed away into
Mozambique by the floodwaters and
are believed to have seen buried along
the Risutu River in the Dombe area.
The search for missing persons at Kopa
using sniffer dogs proved futile. The
excavations using a mechanical
excavator failed to reveal any bodies at
sites identified by the cadaver sniffer
dogs.

11. Houses and property
at Kopa Settlement
were destroyed.

12. Kopa, personal
belongings lay strewn
all over the flooded
areas

13. The cyclone tore through the region on the
eve of harvest, wiping out an already poor
crop hit by an El Nino-induced drought.
Thousands of people became food insecure.

14. At least 26 schools in
Chimanimani and Chipinge
reported destroyed building
blocks, 44 schools reported
blown off roofs and others lost
learning materials.
Among the schools with
infrastructure destroyed is St
Charles Lwanga Seminary and
Secondary School that ended
up suspending its boarding
facilities. Two pupils and a
security guard were killed by
landslides.
ST
CHARLES
LWANGA
DISASTER

16. At Peacock Settlement near
Machongwe Business Centre in
Chimanimani an entire thriving
business centre of 15-18 shops was
washed away together with 18 people
who lived there.
PEACOCK
DISASTER
Z

17. Communication
networks were damaged
making it difficult to
access or reach
communities in the
disaster areas. Roads
and bridges were
destroyed or temporalily
blocked by fallen trees,
rocks or landslides.
COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS

18. cv

19. Unfortunate travellors
in vehicles were swept
away by floods.

20. ALTERED
LANDSCAPES

21. CULTURAL
HERITAGE
ASSETS
NOT
SPARED
Cultural heritage sites were
damaged by high winds,
floods and landslides.
Ritual hut, Chikukwa area
Tsanza Old Settlement, Chikukwa
area
Rock art, in Chimanimani
Mountains

22. Bridal Veil Falls survived by a whisker. Landslides affected the left side of the falls.

23. Sacred
forests and
pools were
damaged or
destroyed by
the combined
effects of
strong winds,
landslides
and flooding.
Sacred pools affected in Chikukwa
aea.

24. The recovery from the impacts
of Cyclone Idai has been slow
but progressive. Through the
Cyclone Idai Zimbabwe Idai
Recovery Project (ZIRP) the
recovery effort has registered
significant successes in the
social, infrastructure and
productive sectors.
The project is funded by the
World Bank and is partnered by
FAO, IOM, UNESCO, UNFPA,
UNICEF, UNOPS, WFP and
WHO.
LONG
WALK
TO
RECOVERY

25. The restoration of livelihoods took
centre stage during the early
stages of recovery from Cyclone
Idai.
All continents rallied behind
southern Africa to support food
security to vulnerable
communities.
The food distribution exercise had
its problems though that included
pilferage, unequal supplies and
expired food staffs being released
into the system. These issues were
addressed through Government
audits.
The
helping
hand

26. The overall thrust by the
Government of
Zimbabwe and its
development partners
has been to restore
what was lost and
“build back better,
smarter and stronger”
so that communities are
more resilient to future
hazards.

27. Schools have been
rehabilitated and new houses
built.
Although many people still
leave in temporary shelter,
construction of permanent
houses for displaced persons in
Ngangu Settlement has started
at West End Farm in the Bumba
area of Chimanimani. One
hundred and fifty five housing
units have been delivered to
displaced persons.
New school blocks and houses

28. Through the Cyclone Idai
Zimbabwe Idai Recovery
Project all road networks
and telecommunications
have been restored.
Communications
rehabilitation

29. Water supplies are being
restored to communities for
safe drinking and agricultural
recovery.

30. The mitigation of the
impact of Cyclone Idai
on cultural heritage
assets entailed
documentation of
affected and
unaffected sites,
artifacts rescue
operations,
stabilisation of cultural
sites and community
awareness building on
natural hazards.
Cultural
heritage
recovery

31. Cyclones are becoming frequent in
the southern hemisphere. Experts
say this is due to climate change.
Since Cyclone idai, several cyclone
induced storms have hit the sub-
region, piling more misery on
some communities.
As cyclone related disasters
increase, there is need to build
resilience to absorb the shocks in
our communities. Disaster Risk
Management at a local level will
therefore enhance our
preparedness and quick recovery
in the event of disasters.
The
future
-
be
prepared

32. The
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33. Exhibition Curator Profile
Paul Mupira is the Regional Director of the
Eastern Region of National Museums and
Monuments of Zimbabwe based at Mutare
Museum. He was one of the Post Cyclone
Idai responders focusing on search and
recovery of missing persons, mitigation of
heritage assets and memorialisation.
His research interests are in Archaeology
and Heritage Management.
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34. Exhibition banner
The main picture in the banner shows a stream east of Ngangu
Village strewn with rocks. Along the course of the stream there was
also other debris, including a lone shoe perched on a stick (centre).
Insert is Mr Enock Makaza of Kopa standing close to a dwarfing
boulder that was transported by the powerful floods.
Photos by Paul Mupira

35. About exhibition navigation
• Black – represents sadness arising from the catastrophic event.
• Light blue – represents water the major agent of destruction in the catastrophy.
• Brown – represents the rain fed mud that engulfed houses and people.
• Yellow – represents the new dawn post cyclone Idai.
• Green – represents regeneration of all forms of live after cyclone Idai.
• Purple – represents hope for better future for communities.
• Slides Navigation:
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36. About Cyclone Idai
Named Idai by Zimbabwe. Idai is a Shona language
word which means love
Formed 4 March 2019
Dissipated 21 March 2019
Highest winds 195-280km/hr
Photo: https:/www.usgs.gov/media/images/cyclone-idai.

37. Cyclone Idai in Southern Africa
An aerial view of Mozambique’s Sofala Province shows settlements
covered by floods. Sofala and Manica Provinces were hardest hit by
Cyclone Idai.
Photo link: worldvision.org/disaster-relief.

38. Cyclone Idai affected districts
Images in this slide show:
Left: the badly affected parts of southern Africa. Source:
choleraalliance.com.
• Right: Damaged bridge. Source: euronews.com.

39. Water supplies and shelter
Left: Secure water supplies were disrupted and people were using
unprotected water sources for drinking and other household needs.
Source: AFP/Antony Zinyange. cbm.org/news/news/news/-
2019/tropical-cyclone-idai/.
Right: People who lost their houses were temporarily sheltered in
tents, Chimanimani Hotel or accommodated by friends and
relatives. This photo was taken by Paul Mupira at Kopa.

40. Ngangu before and after
Ngangu settlement before and after Cyclone Idai. These
maps were developed by the Civil Protection Unit and
show the extent of the damage. The blue lines show water
old and new channels that were opened by the floods. The
brown lines show the paths of the deadly mudslides.
The centre picture was taken by Paul Mupira and shows
the rocks and debris in the stream that passes east of
Ngangu Primary school.

41. Ngangu houses damaged
Scores of houses in Ngangu were damaged or destroyed by
strong winds, debris rich floods and landslides.
Photos were taken by Paul Mupira.

42. Loss of lives in Chimanimani
More than hundred people were killed in Ngangu. In Ngangu the
Roman Catholic Church (Centre image) acted as the temporary
mortuary where community members came to identify their loved
ones.
Makeshift coffins were hurriedly made by relatives as authorities
found it difficult to access the disaster area by road. Mass burials
were conducted for most victims in a special section of the
Chimanimani mortuary.

43. Search for missing persons
Early search efforts were painstaking and used manual means employing bare hands,
shovels, hoes and picks. Community members believed that the missing persons had either
been swept away by the floods or had been covered by mud or rock debris.
However, the manual search did not yield as many bodies of missing persons as expected.
The South African Government offered “cadaver dogs” to try and identify human bodies
suspected to be buried under rubble. 18 points were marked by cadaver dogs in Ngangu,
but the mechanical excavations using an excavator did not yield any bodies. Sheep’s skin,
chicken and cow head were found on some of the spots. At some of the marked points the
bodies had already been removed having been close to the surface.

44. Chaotic scenes after Idai
Pictures say thousand words. Ngangu Settlement
showing the extent of destruction of property.
Photos by Paul Mupira.

45. Personal belongings
Many personal belongings were lost, including birth and school
certificates, identity documents, household goods and clothes.
• Photos by Paul Mupira.

46. Kopa
Kopa was a sprawling unplanned settlement on the confluence
of Nyahode and Risutu Rivers. When these two rivers flooded
the Kopa settlement was wiped out.
These maps developed by the Civil Protection Unit show the
settlement before Cyclone Idai and the areas flooded. The
blue shading on the bottom map show the extent of the floods
and the marks in the blue shaded area show destroyed houses.

47. River transportation in action
Huge boulders and trees were transported especially along
Nyahode River by floods and deposited over the Kopa
Settlement. The debris rich floods knocked down almost all
houses and swept away hundreds of people.
Photos by Paul Mupira

48. Survival rope
This photo shows remains of the rope that the marooned Kopa community at the
Gata Police Base (top photo) tried to use to escape imminent death as Nyahode
River swelled and started bursting its banks.
Unfortunately, the rope snapped during the rescue operation. It is said that only
three people managed to use the rope to escape to safety before it snapped. The
Gata Police Station and all the people sheltering there, including inmates in
holding cells, disappeared in the floods.
The photo by Paul Mupira shows the remaining piece of the rope tied to a mango
tree.

49. Survival tree
A survivor Mr Enock Makaza stands in front of a tree that he
climbed during the flooding of Kopa Settlement. He stayed
on the tree the whole night of 15 March 2019, but in the
process lost his two wives and four children.
Photo by Paul Mupira.

50. Search for missing persons
Excavation of one of the points identified by
cadaver dogs at Kopa. Paul Mupira searching with
Mr Enock Makaza who lost his whole family.
Photo by Stanley Nyamagodo.

51. Rescuing property
A survivor at Kopa rescuing roofing sheets of his
destroyed house.
Photo by Paul Mupira.

52. Omnibus wreck
This photo of a commuter omnibus was taken before the
disaster by Munyaradzi Hamandishe of Mberengwa who
lives at Kopa. Below this image is the photo (by Paul
Mupira) of the omnibus after it was wrecked by the floods.

53. Missing persons - Kopa
This list of missing persons was compiled by the Kopa
Community and given to the authorities. There were complains
that the lists that the authorities had compiled were not
comprehensive enough hence the alternative list. According to
the community list two hundred and one (201) persons are
missing.

54. Kopa food insecurity
People in this community survive on agriculture. The photos on this slide were
taken at Kopa. The photo at the centre of the slide shows a healthy plantation of
bananas, one of the major cash crops in the Risutu area near Kopa, that survived
the floods.
The photos on the flanks show Risutu villagers that were rendered food insecure
by the Cyclone Idai storm carrying food from the Kopa distribution centre.
Photos by Paul Mupira

55. St Charles Lwanga
The photos in this slide show the destroyed dining hall (left)
and dormitory where the two pupils that were killed were
sleeping. A landslide from a nearby hill triggered rock and mud
flows that caused the damage to buildings and human live.
Photos by Paul Mupira

56. Heading home
This photo shows pupils from St Charles Lwanga leaving behind destroyed
buildings (left and right), moving to safety after rescuers failed to reach them for
three days due to debris blocked roads and bad weather. They cross a stream
using a three trunk felled by the strong winds accompanying Cyclone Idai. Their
feet are covered with brown mud. They left all their belongings in the dormitories
– books, clothes, blankets etc.
Photo by the Zimeye – Zimeye.net/2019/03/18/ st-Charles-Lwanga-students-still-
stranded/.

57. Peacock - an empty settlement
The photos on this slide show the empty space where the makeshift
Peacock shopping centre was located. The settlement was swept away
when the confluence of Nyahode and Nyamarirwi Rivers was flooded.
Most of the buildings here were made of prefabricated timber. Among the
assets lost were a grinding mill, groceries and household belongings.
Photos by Paul Mupira.

58. No way through?
The photos in this slide show the bridge along the Nyahode River at Kopa before
and after the flooding.
Left – the bridge before the Idai floods (photo by Munyaradzi Hamandishe). During
the Idai storm the bridge trapped a lot of the river’s load (rocks and vegetation)
thereby blocking the river channel. This created a mini dam upstream that burst
when the bridge finally gave in, releasing an avalanche of the debris rich floods
onto the Kopa settlement. This was the main cause of the fatalities here.
Right – the temporary crossing bridge across Nyahode (Photo by Paul Mupira.

59. No way through?
The pictures in this slide show:
Left – another makeshift bridge at Kopa across Risitu River (photo by
Ashraf Hendricks. groundup.org.za/article/Zimbabweans-struggle-
recover-cyclone-idai/).
Centre – damaged Mvumvumvu bridge along Wengezi-Chimanimani Road
(photo by Ashraf Hendricks. groundup.org.za/article/Zimbabweans-
struggle-recover-cyclone-idai/).
Right: damaged bridge along Nyahode River at Machonge Business Centre
(Photo by Paul Mupira).

60. Traffic jam
The photos in this slide show:
Left: A lorry swept away by the floods along Nyahode River at a saw mill
near Peacock Business Centre (Photo by Paul Mupira).
Centre – A bus that had passengers on board swept away by floods near
Skyline in Chimanimani. Some passengers were killed and one was swept
as far as Nyanyadzi where the body was eventually recovered (Photo by
Paul Mupira).
Right – Commuter transport struggled to navigate the treacherous terrain
and conditions (photo by the Sunday Mail. sundaymail.co.zw/cyclone-idai-
wrecks-havoc).

61. Where did the rocks come from ?
The photos in this slide show the extent of the damage to the landscape. The major question
from the local communities was where did the large boulders that were exposed and transported
in the river beds come from. There were many unscientific theories put forward. However the
pictures in this slide show that the huge rocks lie beneath the ground surfaces and were exposed
when the top soil layers were washed away.
Left – Huge boulders on eroded banks of Zunguni River along the Chimanimani Charleshood
road.
Centre – Landslides at Skyline Junction.
Right - Boulders dumped by floods at Kopa .
Photos by Paul Mupira.

62. Even the ancestors were not spared
This slide shows the damaged river courses with sacred
pools in Chikukwa Communal Lands.
Left: Musapa River on Chimanimani Gap where Dziva
raTsangu sacred pool once existed.
Right: Chitanda River showing the damaged sacred pools.
Photos by Paul Mupira.

63. Rebuilding
This photo shows elderly women walking out of a Mobile Clinic
set up to ensure continued health services provision during the
post Cyclone Idai phase.
Photo by Tatenda Chimbwanda, World Health Organisation.
afro.who.int/news/.

64. Assistance agreements
This photo shows Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government, Public Works and
National Housing July Moyo (Right front), Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo
Shaochun (Cente front) and the UNDP Resident Representative Georges van
Montfort (Left front) posing for a photo with the agreements to provide recovery
assistance to districtc affected by Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe.
Photo by Zhang Yuliang/Xinhua. xinhuanet.com/English/2020-
07/04/c_139188454.htm.

65. The helping hand
Photos in this slide show the response to restore food security, especially among vulnerable
groups.
• Left: Various food staffs were donated by individual and institutional well wishers. In this
photo displaced residents in Chimanimani wait for food aid distribution. Photo by Asraf
Hendricks. radiovop.com.
• Centre: Zimbabwe National Army was part of the relief effort. Here army officers
distribute food relief packages to patiently waiting residents. Photo by Diamond FM.
se.ke.facebook.com/diamondFMZim/posts/cyclone-idai-update/.
• Right: The vulnerabe groups received priority in the restoration of food security. Photo
by Tendai Marima/Aljazeera. aljazeera.com/economy/2019/3/29/cyclone-destroys-
zimbabwe-farms-deepening-food-crisis.

66. Building back better
The photos in this slide show some of the non-resilient structures in the villages in
Chimanimani.
• Left: A homestead in the mountain villages south of Kopa Settlement. This home
survived Cyclone Idai but can easily be destroyed by storms. Photo by Paul
Mupira.
• Right: Homestead along Nyahode River north of Kopa Settlement, located in the
river valley and poorly landscaped ground. This too survived Cyclone Idai
landslides but faces a huge risk if similar events recur. Photos by Paul Mupira.

67. Building back better
The photos in this slide shows climate resilient buildings that are
being constructed for communities affected by Cyclone Idai.
• Left: A school block at Brightstone Primary School built through
sponsorship from IDBZ. Photo by Tinai Nyamadzayo.
Manicapost.co.zw/cyclone/-idai-bank-rehabilitates-10-schools/.
• Right: A house in the new Runyararo re-settlement village in the
Bumba area of Chimanimani. Photo by The Herald. herald.co.zw.

68. Restoring road communication channels
• Left: Bridge drain repairs. Photo by The standard.
thestandard.newsday.co.zw/2022/03/05/.
• Centre: Mvumvumvu Bridge between Wengezi and Nhedziwa
settlements on the way to Chimanimani was repaired.
• Right: A repaired bridge near Chimanimani. Photo by Munashe
Chokodza. 263Chat.com.
• Extreme right: Gravel road repairs. herald.co.zw.
• Below: Power lines in Chimanimani. Photo by Paul Mupira.

69. Restoration of water supplies
• Left: One of the boreholes drilled by UNOPs to provide safe drinking
water. Photo by UNOPS-Zimbabwe. zimbabwe.un.org.
• Centre: Bwerudza Irrigation Scheme canal rehabilitation in Chipinge,
spearheaded by UNOPS. Photo by Paul Mupira.
• Right: Dam weir repairs. Photo by UNOPS-Zimbabwe. zimbabwe.un.org.

70. Cultural Heritage recovery
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) staff in the field during
the cultural recovery project.
• Top and bottom left: Rescue excavations at Tsanza Hill Old Settlement in Martin
Forest, Chimanimani. Photos by Paul Mupira (top) and Biggie Chikwiramakomo
(bottom).
• Right top: Stabilisation of a rock shelter with Late Stone Age art, Outward
Bound Outdoor Centre in Chimanimani Mountains. In the Picture is Takesure
Chikukwa a community member, Kundishora Chipunza/NMMZ Chief Curator and
Biggie Chikwiramakomo/NMMZ Surveyor.Photo by Paul Mupira.
• Right Bottom: Community consultations on damaged dultural heritage assets in
Chikukwa. Photo by Biggie Chikwiramakomo.

71. The future – be prepared
• Left: Lucky survivors – three children joyfully playing on the eastern
banks of Nyahode River at Kopa Settlement two months after the
Cyclone Idai Disaster. Photo by Paul Mupira.
• Centre: Contributing to immediate food recovery? Woman vending food
at Kopa Settlement after Cyclone Idai. Photo by Paul Mupira.
• Right: Tilling the land. A man hoeing his pineapple field that survived the
landslides in a mountain settlement south of Rusitu River near Kopa.
Photo by Paul Mupira.

72. Cultural Heritage
Many cultural heritage sites were affected by the cyclone in Zimbabwe. A recovery
project launched in Chimanimani noticed that cultural sites suffered impacts such as
landslides, flooding, erosion of ground surfaces and sacred pools and rubble and
vegetation cluttering.
Left: A ritual hut destroyed at Chitekete Shrine in Chikukwa Communal Lands. At this
site there are graves of four Chikukwa Chiefs dating back to the 1880s.
Centre: A rock shelter with San Paintings in the Outward Bound area of Chimanimani
Mountains. Its ground surface was sevevrely eroded, exposing some artifacts.
Right: Tsanza Hill Old Settlement in Martin Forest was affected by landslides. A lot of
archaeological materials were displaced and destroyed. Photos by Paul Mupira.