PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA TO UNDERTAKE OVERSIGHT VISIT TO GQEBERHA TO ASSESS RESPONSE TO WEATHER-INDUCED EMERGENCIES
President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape tomorrow, Friday, 7 June 2024, to assess the response by government departments and entities as well as civil society groupings to floods that have resulted in the loss of life and destruction of public infrastructure and private property.
Severe weather conditions have impacted on the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Free State in recent days, with loss of life, disappearance of resident 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 this efforts as needs are identified.
Government 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.
President Ramaphosa said: “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.”
