Govt working with communities affected by flooding
Heavy rains have battered parts of the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Limpopo, leaving at least 10 people dead.
The Presidency says all relevant authorities are working closely with communities affected by flooding across the country.
Torrential rains have battered parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Officials say at least 10 people have died.
In KZN, strong winds tore through parts of the province causing damage to some buildings.
State of disaster declared
Government has, through the National Disaster Management Centre, declared a national state of disaster in response to the loss of life, infrastructure damage, disruptions to essential services, and the displacement of communities.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa appreciates the way in which individuals, civil society organisations and the business sector who have stepped forward to alleviate the difficulties inflicted by natural events.
“The President further commends the way in which rescue and recovery crews are responding in conditions where the weather also has an impact on recovery and rescue operations including limited air operations” said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
Western Cape battered by level 8 storm
The Western Cape has been the hardest-hit region, with some parts of the province under an Orange Level 8 alert for disruptive rainfall.
All public schools are closed on Tuesday.
The Gift of the Givers says its teams have been inundated with calls for help from informal settlements.
There are also growing reports of schools damaged by heavy rain and strong winds.
Informal settlements across parts of the Cape have been left devastated by the severe weather. Strong winds have torn roofs off homes, trees have crashed onto houses, and widespread flooding has been reported in several communities.
Most homes in the Lwandle informal settlement have been flooded. The Gift of the Givers is working with disaster management teams to help affected families as thousands of calls for assistance continue to pour in.
Several schools in the Cape Winelands district remain closed due to the dangerous weather conditions.
In Cape Town, Wynberg is one of the worst-affected areas. Several homes have also had their roofs blown off, and fallen trees have damaged at least one property in the area.
One woman said she was at home when the roof came off.
“It was extremely traumatic due to the fact that the sound of the wind ripping off the roof sheeting was very traumatic, as well as just being alone in the house at that time.”
Find us on social media
Follow the ECR Newswatch WhatsApp channel here
We are also on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)
MORE ON ECR:
