Minister responsible, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, said government cannot commit now since the decision will be informed by the assessment of devastation underway in the 10 districts.

Kambauwa Wirima said currently officers in the education directorate are on the ground gathering data on the devastation of the cyclone in the region.

"It's very difficult to say much now because we need to assess the damage and the have a report. As we speak, all the directorate is not sleeping to make sure that we have the data that we need which will inform the kind of the decision we are going to make moving forward," Wirima said.

Kambauwa-Wirima who was accompanied by homeland security minister, Ken Zikhale Ng'oma, deputy minister of local government, Owen Chomanika, said this on Thursday in Thyolo after visiting and distributed maize to the survivors.

Thyolo District Commissioner, Rosemary Nawasha documented that 13 people have so far died while 754 families are in need of relief assistance in 29 evacuation camps.

"We also have most of our roads been cut off and most of the bridges have been washed away. Most of crops have been damaged and many households have no where to stay, currently in 29 evacuation camps," she documented.

Mercy Sayenda, a survivor at Nansato evacuation camp from Mtokota village, Senior Chief Nchiramwera said they were seriously hit and need relief assistance.

Government closed schools in the region on 12 March 2023 untill Friday this week after receiving expert information from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services regarding regarding the direct effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.