President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape on Friday after the province had been hit hard by adverse weather in the last week.
Ramaphosa’s visit was to assess the response by government departments and entities as well as social groupings to floods that have resulted in the loss of life and destruction of public infrastructure and private property.
Several provinces across the country have been severely affected by severe weather conditions.
“Severe weather conditions have impacted the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Free State in recent days, with loss of life, disappearance of residents and loss of public infrastructure and private property reported extensively.
“Officials of the National Disaster Management Centre have been deployed to the affected areas and national, provincial, and local departments and agencies - including the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Department of Home Affairs, the National Department of Transport, the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Human Settlements and the South African Social Security Agency – are attending to challenges faced by communities.
“More departments and entities will join these efforts as needs are identified,” the Presidency said.
Government said it is working alongside non-governmental organisations and humanitarian agencies such as the South African Red Cross Society, Gift of the Givers, and others to bring relief.
“Even though we know winter can be harsh, we are nonetheless saddened when we lose loved ones and face devastation on the scale we have seen in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.
“At this difficult time, national and provincial authorities, as well as civic organisations, are working tirelessly to assist the affected communities with much-needed, immediate psychosocial support and humanitarian relief.
“This relief is the first step on the demanding journey of rebuilding lives, homes, businesses, and public infrastructure after events of this nature. Government will do its best to ensure that the recovery process meets the needs of residents and enables a renewal of the affected areas,” Ramaphosa said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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