Times Reporter
8 May 2003
SEVEN people have been killed in floods that have left 2,000 families displaced in the Barotse plain in Mongu.
The Barotse Royal Establishment says the death have been caused by wind driven floods resulting from the heavy rains in neighbouring Angola and North-Western Province.
Barotse Royal Establishment Natamoyo (chief justice) Mwanangombe Sikota disclosed this to 18 photo-journalists at Limulunga Palace at the weekend.
'We have received reports that people have drowned in accidents involving commercial speed boats and some small canoes. The accidents have been caused by heavy winds,' the Natamoyo said.
The traditional chief justice who was flanked by Induna Simanda Mumpeto, said the floods which had come two days after the celebration of this year's Kuomboka ceremony took everyone by surprise and people could not be evacuated in time.
He said the floods had displaced many people, destroyed clinics, houses, bridges and submerged rice fields.
The Natamoya said the people in the affected areas had been forced to flee to places that were not conventional like the Litunga's summer residence.
Photo-journalists who visited the affected area saw that people had fled from at least 25 villages while those from about 14 villages were seeking shelter at Lealui Palace.
Some of the villages that have been completely washed away are Likwangwa, Makwezi, Mutondo, Kakulwani, Nkanda, Maloyiand Situmbi.
Others are Lubamba, Likanda, Kabeti, Nyiya and Nyasaya.
Lealui royal village which was the only remaining dry piece of land had been flooded by people from other villages, the Natamoyo said.
He said althpough most of the Mongu floods management team had assessed and prescribed appropriate measures to tackle the problem, there was need for Government to urgently formulate contingency plans for those affected.
He appealed to the Government to urgently send relief food to Mongu to avert starvation and help people in places like Kalabo and Sesheke.
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