Zimbabwe says repair of bridges in Chimanimani and Chipinge to cost $83 million

Local Government Minister July Moyo today said the repair of roads and bridges in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts which were damaged or washed away by Cyclone Idai will cost $83 million.

He said engineers and other experts were already on the ground to carry out the repair work.

Moyo said the private sector had played a significant role and had supplied all the equipment that the government needed to carry out the repairs.

Official Zimbabwe figures say about 200 people were killed when the cyclone hit Zimbabwe two weeks ago and more than 300 hundred are missing.

The International Organisation of Migration says more than 500 people have died in Zimbabwe. It says 261 were recorded in Manicaland while more than 300 bodies were washed away into Mozambique.

The cyclone said to be one of the worst to hit Southern Africa has sparked a lot of debate on the devastating effects of climate change and the preparedness of Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique to deal with disasters.

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