South Africa: Condolences for Eastern Cape Flood Victims

Tsoanelo Sefoloko/GroundUP
Families came to sift through the debris of what remains of their home in eMagwaveni. Trees were stripped of their branches, roofs were ripped off houses, and household items were strewn across people’s yards by extreme storm winds that ripped through oThongati in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
3 June 2024
SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane)

President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended his condolences to the families who have lost loved ones due to severe flooding in the Eastern Cape.

By Monday morning, at least seven people had lost their lives in the floods with reports of some 1200 people displaced.

Areas most hit by the inclement weather are Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and Kariega.

"The loss of life, destruction of public infrastructure and the loss of personal property brought about by the forces of nature saddens all of us as South Africans.

"The aftermath of these occurrences is best overcome when we work together in the way we are seeing in the Eastern Cape," President Ramaphosa said.

In a statement, the Presidency said the President urged South Africans to heed weather warnings

"President Ramaphosa commends the way in which authorities, communities, non-governmental organisations and individuals are dealing with rescue and recovery efforts, including the rehousing of a significant number of families who have been displaced.

"Given the potential impacts of the winter season on various parts of the country, President Ramaphosa urges the public to keep safe by heeding weather alerts and exercising greater care and restraint on our roads in poor weather conditions.

"The President also calls on citizens to reach out to vulnerable members of their families and communities, to make this season as comfortable and safe as possible for people who have limited resources or live on their own," the statement read.

Read the original article on SAnews.gov.za.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 SAnews.gov.za. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.