South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa has revealed to joint sitting of Parliament that the devastating flooding which occurred recently at the coastal parts of KwaZulu-Natal where hundreds of lives were lost, saying 54 people still missing or unaccounted for.
Ramaphosa who revealed this in Capetown on Tuesday while addressing the Parliament over widespread flooding, said more than 5,700 houses have been completely destroyed and nearly 10,000 houses have been partially damaged.
Recalled from 8th to 13th of April, 2022, the coastal parts of KwaZulu-Natal experienced extremely heavy rainfall, causing severe damage in the eThekwini metro and the districts of King Cetshwayo, iLembe, Ugu and Umgungundlovu.
According the Ramaphosa, "Around 630 schools have been affected and over 100 schools are not accessible at present. Sadly, 58 learners and 1 educator have passed away. Five learners are still missing. The economic damage is substantial, notably to the Port of Durban, one of the continent’s busiest ports.
"Supply of essential services have been disrupted, leaving homes, schools and businesses without water and electricity. In the Eastern Cape, the districts of Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi and OR Tambo bore the brunt of the flooding.
"At least two people lost their lives in the flooding, three people were injured, and around 1,000 people were affected by the destruction of houses and other losses. As in KwaZulu-Natal, the flooding caused damage to roads and bridges and disrupted water and electricity supply to various areas.
"Similar damage was experienced in the North West province, affecting the districts of Bojanala, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Ngaka Modiri Molema. A total of 1,535 houses have been damaged by heavy rainfall in the province", he added.
The President noted that by declaring a national state of disaster, the responsibility for coordinating and managing the disaster is that of national government, working closely with provincial governments and the municipalities. "We are responding to this disaster in three overlapping phases.
"The first of these phases is focused on humanitarian assistance, on ensuring that all affected persons are safe and that their basic needs, like food and water, are met.
"Working with NGOs, religious bodies, companies and relief organisations, the different spheres of government have been providing meals, blankets, dignity packs and other essentials to displaced individuals in shelters, schools and community halls.
"Some of these have not been adequate. Some have not provided the necessary dignity. That is why I have said that people must be moved with greater speed to temporary accommodation. Relief has also been provided in the form of Social Relief of Distress grants to affected individuals, the supply of emergency water, provision of school uniforms and assistance with funeral costs".
Adding that mobile classrooms are being deployed to damaged schools and repair work is underway to ensure a return to schooling in these areas as soon as possible. "The second phase of our response is stabilisation and recovery.
"This involves rehousing people who have lost homes and restoring provision of services. Clean-up campaigns are underway in all affected municipalities, with participants in the Community Works Programme involved in many areas".
He stated that South African National Roads Agency has been working with national, provincial transport departments and affected municipalities to assess the damage to key routes and support the repair work that is currently underway.
"The Defence Force will also get involved in this through bridge building. Several roads have been re-opened in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape and many bridges have been repaired.
"Extensive work has been done to restore the supply of water, particularly in eThekwini, which has been most severely affected by damage to bulk water infrastructure. Restoring water supply to all areas remains a significant challenge, however, and is vital if we are to safeguard the health and well-being of all residents of these areas".
The President disclosed that men and women of all faiths and beliefs are observing a moment of prayer for those who lost their lives and for those who are still suffering as a result of the catastrophic floods that ravaged parts of the country and the fires that displaced hundreds of people in the city.
"The National Religious Forum is conducting at this very minute a Walk of Witness at some of flood-affected areas of KwaZulu-Natal to assess the situation and offer solidarity and pastoral care and counselling", he said.
Ramaphosa applauded the religious leaders for providing comfort, support and encouragement at this time of national grief. "Two weeks ago, a great tragedy befell our nation, causing catastrophic loss of life and widespread destruction.
"The floods in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and North West were of such force that they laid waste to nearly everything in their path. Hundreds of people lost their lives. Many are still missing. Hillsides, homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure were washed away. Factories, warehouses, shops, public buildings, farms and fields were flooded".
He thanked the Parliament for agreeing to the special joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament. "So that the members of National Assembly and National Council of Provinces could express solidarity for those who have passed away and the injured.
"It is correct and appropriate that, as the elected representatives of the people of South Africa, you should also be involved in the work to rebuild lives and livelihoods. The extent of this crisis calls for unity in action across the nation and within this Parliament across party lines".
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