Cabinet has expressed its heartfelt condolences to the families that lost their loved ones during the devastating storms and heavy floods that claimed the lives of 57 people in the Eastern Cape.
Due to the recent adverse weather conditions in the province, several families have been displaced and infrastructure was damaged.
Addressing a media briefing on Thursday, Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said government is coordinating rescue and support operations through the inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Disaster Management.
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"Emergency teams have also been deployed from Gqeberha, East London and the Chris Hani District to the affected areas to support local first responders. Cabinet extends its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the flooding across various areas in the Eastern Cape," Ntshavheni said in Cape Town, during a media briefing on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
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Earlier this week, a severe winter weather system resulted in a significant and dramatic drop in daytime temperatures in all provinces. This resulted in severe incidents of extremely cold weather, with coastal provinces experiencing rough seas and rainfall.
The Eastern Cape was the hardest hit by the severe weather conditions.
A scholar transport minibus transporting children was swept by water near Mthatha, leading to the loss of life.
Some media reports say three children survived the ordeal after they were found clinging to a tree.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa is visiting flood-affected communities in and around Mthatha in the Eastern Cape to assess the impact of the recent floods and evaluate the progress of ongoing disaster response efforts.
