He will not, however, travel beyond the capitals of Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.

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Pope  Francis is adamant that the authorities in the three countries he’s visiting should not splash out on hosting  him. He wants only the most basic requirements.

Nevertheless the Mozambique government has spent R5-million getting ready for the papal visit.

Campaigning is underway for elections there in a fortnight.

Smaller parties have started slowly because money they are due from the electoral commission is late.

Residents of Beira, still recovering from cyclone Idai that killed more than 600 people six months ago are disappointed they will not get to see the Pope. 

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The Maputo government’s hoping money from the international donor conference in Beira at the end of this month will come with fewer strings attached.

The IMF is taking $118-million from its Rapid Credit Facility to make a loan to Mozambique.

It’s demanding budget cuts from the government of President Felipe Nyusi and the reallocation of priority spending to help the poorest citizens rebuild their homes destroyed by cyclones Idai and Kenneth.

The World Bank’s making a $350-million grant  Mozambique that will be tightly controlled to ensure spending  infrastructure repair, re-establishing crops, food security, disease control, social assistance and building early warning systems.

The post World Bank and IMF turn the screws on Mozambique appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Many of the houses in Pemba, up in the north of Mozambique are made of mud bricks which is crumbling in the deluge that has persisted since the cyclone made landfall last Thursday.

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The magazine New Scientist is calling cyclone Kenneth one of the strongest hurricanes  ever to have hit the African mainland.

Heavy rains persist in Nampula and Cabo Delgado making access to some of the the people in distress virtually impossible. 

More than 30 000 s houses have been damaged or destroyed. 200 classrooms and 15 health car centres have been obliterated.

21 000 people are sheltering in 30 accommodation centres

The post Kenneth is the worst hurricane ever to have hit the African mainland appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

This is the second deadly storm to hit South Africa’s eastern neighbour in a month.

Cyclone Kenneth carries all the deadly properties of Cyclone Idai that killed more than 900 people around Beira last month and left three million in need of emergency humnitarian aid.

Its winds are the speed of a category four hurricane.

It is expected to dump more than 600 mm of rain in northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania over the next five days.

Having killed three people and caused extensive damage on the Comores archipelago yesterday, cyclone Kenneth land around Pemba city in Mozambique last night

The post 30 000 Mozambicans must be evacuated from effects of cyclone Kenneth appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

However Defense Minister Oppah Muchinguri, who received the cheque in Harare yesterday sent her visitor Minister  of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu home with a list of further requirements.

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Zimbabwe’s Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri says  cyclone Idai is a stark warning about the realities of climate change and urges SADC countries to beef up their early warning systems so as never to be caught out again.

She tells foreign minister Lindiwe Sisulu it is encouraging  to have big-hearted and generous friends.

(take in the Oppah clip here)

The minister lists water purification tablets, building material and temporary bridges as Zimbabwe’s immediate needs.

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