Riaan 
Abasinde eCyclone uFreddy babambelele ethembeni lokuthola izihlobo ezilahlekile ngoLwesibili ngemuva kokuthi isiphepho sihlasele iMalawi okwesibili isiteleka e-Afrika okuyisigameko esaqopha umlando.
Okungenani bangu-110 abantu abashonile ezweni elimpofu selokhu uFreddy ehlasele eningizimu ye-Afrika ngempelasonto, emasontweni ambalwa nje kwenzeke isigameko esibi ngasekupheleni kukaFebhuwari, ngokusho kwesibalo sesikhashana se-UN.
Abaningi bashone ngenxa yokubihlika kodaka okugeze imizi yesikhashana enhlokodolobha yezentengiselwano yakuleliya lizwe, iBlantyre.
Ukuphelelwa yithemba kwahlala eChilobwe, ilokishi elingaphandle kwedolobha elithatha cishe uhhafu wezisulu.
Ngenxa yokunethwa yizimvula osekuphele izinsuku zine, abasindile bebelokhu bengakholwa, bebuka izindlu eziyisicaba nezakhiwo.
Abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi kusekhona abantu abavaleleke ngaphansi kwemfucumfucu enodaka yezitini zobumba – kodwa babengekho abatakuli.
UJohn Witman, oseminyakeni yawo-80, egqoke ijazi lemvula nesigqoko soboya, enamalungu omndeni wakhe angu-10 edonsa kanzima, wema phambi kwendawo okwakuyindlu yomkhwenyana wakhe. Kwase kusele amatshe namanzi agelezayo ngoba indlu yayigugulekile.
“Ngifisa sengathi singamthola, sithole ukuthi sekuvaliwe. Sizizwa singenamandla ngoba akekho ozosisiza – asazi ukuthi senzeni,” etshela abe-AFP.
EChimkwankhunda, okuyisigodi esiqhele ngamakhilomitha ambalwa, uSteve Panganani Matera, egqoke ijakhethi eluhlaza okotshani, wakhomba indunduma yodaka.
“Beziningi izindlu, kodwa azisekho,” kusho uMatera.
“Kunenqwaba yemizimba phansi odakeni, imizimba eminingi.”
Izisebenzi zosizo nazo zazilindele ukuthi amanani azokhuphuka.
“Isimo sibi kakhulu,” kusho uGuilherme Botelho, umdidiyeli wohlelo oluphuthumayo lweDoctors Without Borders (MSF).
“Baningi abalimele, abalimele, abalahlekile noma abashonile, futhi amanani azokwanda ezinsukwini ezizayo.”
Iluphu ebulalayo
Isishingishane uFreddy sifike eMalawi endaweni evaliwe ngoMsombuluko ekuseni ngemuva kokushanela eMozambique ngempelasonto.
Lesi siphepho ngesonto eledlule sephule ngokungemthetho izinga leWorld Meteorological Organization njengesishingishane esahlala isikhathi eside kunawo wonke emlandweni, esahlelwa ngo-1994 njengesiphepho esinezinsuku ezingu-31 okuthiwa uJohn.
Ukuqinisekisa ukuthi uFreddy ungumnikazi omusha wesihloko kuyinqubo okungenzeka ithathe izinyanga.
UFreddy wenza emasontweni edlule ogwini olusenyakatho ye-Australia, waba isiphepho esiqanjwe ngoFebhuwari 6.
Inqamule yonke indawo eseningizimu ye-Indian Ocean futhi yehlela eMadagascar ngoFebhuwari 21, yanqamula isiqhingi ngaphambi kokufika eMozambique ngoFebhuwari 24, yadlula nemiphefumulo ecishe ibe ngamashumi amabili kuwo womabili la mazwe futhi yathinta abantu abacishe babe ngu-400,000.
Yabe isibuyela olwandle i-Indian Ocean, yafaka uphethiloli ngokufudunyezwa kwamanzi ayo, yabuya isinamandla kakhulu ngempelasonto.
Izazi zezulu zithi izishingishane ezihamba kulo lonke i-Indian Ocean azivamile kakhulu – okokugcina ukwenzeka kwaba ngo-2000 – futhi i-loopback ka-Freddy ihluke nakakhulu.
“Kuyinto engavamile kakhulu ukuthi lezi zishingishane zizondla ngokuphindaphindiwe,” kusho uchwepheshe wokuguquka kwesimo sezulu noprofesa uColeen Vogel eNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Afrika yaseWitwatersrand.
“Abantu abalindele ukuthi baphinde babuye uma sebeshaye phansi.”
“Ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu sekuqala ukukhombisa umthelela kulezi zinhlelo,” kusho uVogel, wengeza nokho ukuthi ucwaningo olwengeziwe lwaludingeka ukusho lokhu ngokuqiniseka okukhulu.
Bangaphezu kuka-19,000 abantu abakhahlanyezwe yisiphepho eMalawi, ngokusho kwe-UN.
Lesi sishingishane sesiqubule izinkinga eziningi ezweni elibhekene nesifo sohudo esibi kakhulu emlandweni waso, nesibulale abantu abangaphezu kuka-1,600 kusukela ngonyaka odlule.
Uvalo lokuqubuka kabusha kwecholera ngemuva kokugqashuka kwalo ngemuva kwesinye isivunguvungu sase-tropical, u-Anna nyakenye, lubhebhetheke kakhulu ngenxa yokushoda kwemishanguzo yokugoma.
“Kusesekuseni ukusho ukuthi kukhona okuzokwenzeka, kodwa kumele siqaphe ukuze sibone ukuthi amanye amacala azovela yini,” kusho uBotelho we-MSF.
UMengameli waseNingizimu Afrika uCyril Ramaphosa udlulise amazwi enduduzo ngokulahlekelwa kwemiphefumulo ecela ku-150 emazweni amathathu ahlaselwe yiziphepho.
