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Ramaphosa calls for unity following floods on east coast

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President Cyril Ramaphosa lays a wreath at a debris of a house destroyed after massive flooding in Chatsworth near Durban on  April 24, 2019. Picture: Rogan Ward/Reuters
President Cyril Ramaphosa lays a wreath at a debris of a house destroyed after massive flooding in Chatsworth near Durban on April 24, 2019. Picture: Rogan Ward/Reuters

President Cyril Ramaphosa cut short his state visit to Egypt to visit those affected by the recent heavy torrential rains that swept across much of the eastern coast of South Africa.

Ramaphosa laid a wreath and expressed his condolences at the site where seven members of the same family died after their house collapsed in Chatsworth. He also announced that relief funds had been made available to assist communities and families affected by the extreme floods.

On Monday torrential rains swept across much of the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape, with 51 people confirmed dead and many more left displaced.

Ramaphosa was in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday morning and took time to visit some of the disaster-stricken areas and assess the damage and relief efforts that are currently under way.

He began with a visit to the site of a sinkhole located in Rockview Road, Amanzimtoti, where he was accompanied by KwaZulu-Natal acting premier Sihle Zikalala, department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Nomsa Dube-Ncube, and eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede.

Police Minister Bheki Cele, who was meant to be attending the opening of the Elandskraal police station in Limpopo, also accompanied the president.

Ramaphosa called for unity as the country follows the tragic news on South Africa’s east coast.

“Our hearts go out, particularly, to families and communities who have been directly affected by death, injury and the loss of property. This situation calls on all of us to pull together as a country to reach out to affected communities and to help alleviate their hardship,” the president said.

floods

Johan Fourie, a homeowner in Amanzimtoti, told Ramaphosa about the devastating moment he lost everything when the floods ravaged parts of his home.

Another man in his early sixties, who sustained injuries to his head when his house collapsed into the sinkhole, was rescued by emergency services and was recovering in hospital.

The president made his way to Westcliff in Chatsworth, where a home was completely demolished, killing eight people and injuring one.

The torrential rains, which began on Monday and lasted through the night until Tuesday morning, wreaked havoc. Houses collapsed and bridges washed away. Informal settlements were the worst affected: cars and houses were washed away.

In Port St John’s, the devastation extended through the Nyandeni local municipality and Blekana River in King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality.

Some public figures have called on for relief efforts to the disaster stricken areas, with people like lawyer Tumi Sole setting spearheading donation points across the country, through the hashtag #CountryDuty.

The Red Cross has also lent a hand in offering assistance, after deploying disaster relief teams to the affected communities.

Ramaphosa saluted emergency services for speedily responding to rescue efforts and saving dozens of lives. He also thanked national and provincial departments, local government and non-governmental organisations for assistance.

“They have provided food, shelter, mattresses and beds and also toilet facilities in the various halls,” he said.

Ramaphosa said funds were made available to assist those who had been affected.

“Money will be mobilised to assist our people. These are emergencies that are budgeted for, so resources will be mobilised in the biggest way so that people currently in need are assisted. It will take time but the South African government, by all its levels, will be there to assist our people. This is what we have to do,” he said.

He was confident that the intervention would comfort the devastated people.

“The force of nature is so huge – this is partly what climate change is about. It just hits when you least expect it,” he said.

Ramaphosa said he would in the next few days also visit parts of the Eastern Cape that were detrimentally affected by the floods. – Additional reporting by SAnews.gov.za

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