President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday night over the devastating floods that have seen catastrophic damage caused in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape, as well as a fire in the Western Cape.
Ramaphosa announced that a national state of disaster had been declared due to the loss of life and damage to property, infrastructure and the environment.
This followed a special Sunday cabinet meeting to assess the social and economic aftermath of flooding in the two provinces and fire in the third, as well as the work needed to provide relief and rebuild homes and infrastructure.
Close to 8,000 homes have been destroyed, half of them completely.
The storms wreaked massive damage in both provinces, with a mounting death toll now standing at 444.
National government will work with provincial governments and local government together in three phases:
- Immediate humanitarian work ensuring people are safe and needs are met;
- Ensuring all have shelter, food and medical care; and
- Reconstruction and rebuilding of homes and infrastructure.
In the Eastern Cape, the areas around Port St Johns, Green Farm, Matatiele, Ntabankulu, Lusikisiki, Umzimvubu and Flagstaff were hit particularly hard, with many homes collapsed or totally submerged by raging floodwaters or destroyed by landslides.
In KZN, the education department on Monday said the latest statistics show 630 schools were affected by the deluge and affected 270,000 pupils.
The National Treasury has already identified R1bn in contingency reserve funds that can immediately be released to departments to assist families affected by the floods.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation on Friday called on the government to ensure the funds allocated for the flood disaster are not stolen or misused in the way Covid relief funds were.
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana said the auditor-general had been roped in to perform a live audit of the funds to prevent misuse.
The president said Cogta minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma would brief the media on details of the state of disaster at 11.30am on Tuesday morning.
DispatchLIVE
Ramaphosa declares a national state of disaster
Image: ROGAN WARD/REUTERS
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday night over the devastating floods that have seen catastrophic damage caused in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape, as well as a fire in the Western Cape.
Ramaphosa announced that a national state of disaster had been declared due to the loss of life and damage to property, infrastructure and the environment.
This followed a special Sunday cabinet meeting to assess the social and economic aftermath of flooding in the two provinces and fire in the third, as well as the work needed to provide relief and rebuild homes and infrastructure.
Close to 8,000 homes have been destroyed, half of them completely.
The storms wreaked massive damage in both provinces, with a mounting death toll now standing at 444.
National government will work with provincial governments and local government together in three phases:
In the Eastern Cape, the areas around Port St Johns, Green Farm, Matatiele, Ntabankulu, Lusikisiki, Umzimvubu and Flagstaff were hit particularly hard, with many homes collapsed or totally submerged by raging floodwaters or destroyed by landslides.
In KZN, the education department on Monday said the latest statistics show 630 schools were affected by the deluge and affected 270,000 pupils.
The National Treasury has already identified R1bn in contingency reserve funds that can immediately be released to departments to assist families affected by the floods.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation on Friday called on the government to ensure the funds allocated for the flood disaster are not stolen or misused in the way Covid relief funds were.
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana said the auditor-general had been roped in to perform a live audit of the funds to prevent misuse.
The president said Cogta minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma would brief the media on details of the state of disaster at 11.30am on Tuesday morning.
DispatchLIVE
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