Mozambique: Chapo inspects cyclone damage

Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Friday visited the southern province of Inhambane to see for himself the damage done by tropical cyclone Gezani in its passage up the Mozambique Channel. Although the cyclone did not make landfall anywhere in Mozambique, it did bring high waves, strong winds and torrential rain. The known death toll from Gezani stands at four.

The authorities estimate that the cyclone affected about 9,000 people. During a meeting of the National Operational Emergency Centre (CENOE), Chapo pledged that the infrastructures damaged by the cyclone will be quickly repaired. Prominent among these is the jetty guaranteeing transport between Inhambane city and Maxixe.

Chapo called on the public and private sectors and cooperation partners to work together to repair cyclone damage. He praised the people of Inhambane for obeying the instructions given by the government in its warning messages about the approach of the cyclone. He thought this had been determinant in avoiding further loss of life.

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“We did all that we could so that there would not be even a single death”, said Chapo, “but it is not easy to control everything and everybody”. Despite the efforts of the authorities, four people had died during the passage of Gezani. Chapo said he wanted to see for himself the damage caused by Gezani, notably in the education sector.

In two major Inhambane schools, the Josina Machel Primary School and the Conguiana Secondary School, the roofs were blown off, but there had been no other structural damage. Nonetheless, Chapo thought it urgent to repair the roofs of the two schools, since the 2026 school year is due to start on 27 February. “The children will need to use those classrooms which currently have no roofs”, he said.

Restoring the jetty was also a key priority. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people use the jetty very day to cross between Inhambane city and Maxixe. Studies are under way “about how we can re-float the ferry”, said the President. He thought the work would take between 10 and 15 days.

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