he death toll from the Cyclone Chido which stuck Mozambique last week has risen to 94 with hundreds still missing.

According to the country’s National Institute of Risk and Disaster Management (INGD), the
powerful storm which made a landfall last week, also injured 768 people and affected over 622,000, leaving a trail of destruction across northern provinces.

The Cyclone hit Mozambique on December 15 with winds reaching 260 km/h (160 mph) and 250 mm of rainfall within the first 24 hours, first striking the Cabo Delgado province before moving inland to Niassa and Nampula, regions frequently battered by cyclones.

A report from the INGD said the Indian Ocean archipelago, Mayotte, bore the brunt of the storm.

Officials in Mayotte, which is one of France’s poorest overseas territories, said they have only been able to confirm 35 fatalities from Chido, but some have said they fear thousands could have been killed.

“The cyclone severely impacted Mozambique’s already fragile education and health sectors,” a report by the United Nations said on Monday.

“Over 109,000 students were affected as schools sustained significant damage, while 52 healthcare units were left inoperable, cutting off access to essential medical services in areas already underserved.

“The same Cyclone Chido had first wreaked havoc in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, before moving on to Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

“While Mayotte experienced its worst storm in 90 years, Mozambique continues to face a compounding crisis driven by climate change,” the report added.

A Non-Governmental Organization in Zambia, the Gender Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC), has decried what it described as persistent corruption in the country in 2024, in a year it says has been of mixed outcomes in governance, citing progress in some areas and setbacks in others.

The Board Chairperson of NGOCC, Beauty Katebe, who made the assertion while speaking at a year-end media briefing in Lusaka on Monday, acknowledged government’s efforts to combat corruption but expressed concern over political and governance irregularities.

Katebe noted that the gale of suspension, dismissal, and conviction of high-profile individuals involved in financial crimes has bern positive steps but however criticised the unabated corruption, emphasising that it disproportionately harms vulnerable groups, especially women and girls.

“Corruption diverts resources meant to uplift the livelihoods of citizens, particularly women and girls, who make up the majority of the poor in Zambia,” Katebe said.

She also drew attention to findings in the Financial Intelligence Centre and Auditor General’s reports, noting that irregularities remained unaddressed.

“The glaring financial discrepancies are deeply worrying, and no concrete action appears to have been taken to address them,” she stated.

The NGOCC leader condemned the prolonged detention of protesters in 2024, attributing it to the outdated Public Order Act, reiterating the groups’ earlier calls for reforms to the legislation, describing it as repressive.

“The government must ensure justice is visibly served, with fairness and equality before the law, including for those exercising their right to protest,” she said.

Katebe also urged the government to operationalize the Gender Equity and Equality Commission, which has remained dormant since its establishment in 2015.

“The Commission, enshrined in the Zambian Constitution, is vital for mainstreaming gender in policy, legal, and administrative frameworks. Its absence denies women and girls a mechanism to promote gender parity,” she emphasized.