Latest news with #Decoligny
News24
a day ago
- Politics
- News24
Ramaphosa takes residents' calls for probe into deadly Mthatha floods on board
At least 78 people have died in devastating floods that engulfed Mthatha this week. Affected residents have rejected the classification of the flooding as a natural disaster and are demanding an investigation. A water crisis is now compounding the tragedy as Mthatha businesses and residents face days without supply amid massive infrastructure damage. President Cyril Ramaphosa has assented to pleas from residents of Mthatha's Decoligny village who insist that an investigation is needed into the deadly deluge that has claimed at least 78 lives. Ramaphosa, accompanied by several senior government officials, visited Mthatha on Friday to assess the extent of the damage caused by floods that have left many homeless in the area. Ramaphosa was accompanied by Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, among other officials. Decoligny, where scores of bodies were retrieved along the riverbanks with others scattered between houses, was the epicentre of the devastating floods. Resident Thembekile Majeke said the deluge was the first of its kind in the village and needed to be investigated. He told Ramaphosa: 'We do not share the view that this was a natural disaster. We want your office to set up a team to investigate the cause of these floods. We noticed a strange phenomenon when the water was raging through our houses that it was coming from an upward direction rather than going downward as per the direction of the river. We suspect foul play,' a devastated Majeke said. In response, Ramaphosa called one of the senior officials from the National Department of Water and Sanitation to explain what might have happened to Majeke and other residents. But when the official was not available, Ramaphosa said: We will investigate to see what exactly happened. Ramaphosa visited several areas in Mthatha including the bridge on the R61 where 13 schoolchildren from Jumba Senior Secondary were swept away while travelling in a scholar transport vehicle to school on Tuesday morning. Three pupils were rescued while the rest, including a driver and his assistant, died in the current. The bodies of the driver, his assistant and eight pupils have since been recovered. President @CyrilRamaphosa has expressed his sadness at the loss of lives and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, affected communities and Eastern Cape residents at large. — The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 13, 2025 Addressing residents at a school in Decoligny, Ramaphosa said help was on the way for those who had lost loved ones. 'So many people have died. I heard some schoolchildren are still missing. This is not normal. We are very disturbed that so many people have passed away, but it could have been worse than this,' he said. He said the deluge was so massive that the South African government had received messages of support from the leaders of government in Asia and Europe. 'We will make sure that there is help coming after an assessment,' he said. READ | 'The water was around my neck': Eastern Cape death toll at 75 as residents recount escape Ramaphosa urged residents not to build their houses on floodplains – which was the reason for such a high death toll, Hlabisa said earlier this week. King Sabata Dalindyebo Mayor Nyaniso Nelani said on Wednesday that the municipality had for many years been trying – and failing – to convince people living on floodplains to move. Ramaphosa said: 'This is our new reality as the people of South Africa that we must now be aware that climate change is a real serious challenge that we must deal with. It affects our health, our education, our infrastructure, housing and also our economic infrastructure.' Mabuyane said the provincial government was planning a provincial day of mourning to pay respect to the deceased. He added: We are working towards finding a more suitable place for the [displaced residents]. We have never seen something like this before. We are doing all that we can to fix the damage to infrastructure. We have saved so many lives. Many people could have died, had it not been for our response. Meanwhile, Mthatha businesses have urged the government to expedite the process of restoring water supply in the town. Businessman Vuyisile Ntlabati, president of the Eastern Cape Chamber of Business, said businesses were struggling without water. 'The situation is bad. There is just not enough water supply to carry out business. Some businesses have been without power since Tuesday,' he said. Northcrest resident Siyanda Mabusela said they had been without water since Tuesday. 'We need water to be restored as soon as possible. We have really allowed officials [time] to deal with this tragedy. But we can't survive another day without water,' said Mabusela. The OR Tambo District Municipality said water was expected to be restored over the coming weekend.
CNN
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Children swept away in school bus among at least 49 killed in South Africa flooding
At least 49 people are confirmed dead after flooding hit South Africa, including children whose school bus was swept away during the extreme weather, officials said. An intense cold front has ripped across parts of South Africa, bringing rain and snow and triggering floods. In the Eastern Cape, one of the hardest-hit provinces, floodwaters have forced many people out of their homes, causing power outages and road closures, according to the provincial authority. Earlier on Wednesday, the state broadcaster SABC reported that a school bus was swept into a river in Decoligny village on Tuesday morning while en route to school. The provincial government said that 13 people, including pupils, their driver, and his assistant, were on the bus. 'Sadly four of those learners have been confirmed to be deceased together with the driver and the conductor of the mini-bus', Eastern Cape premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon. Four others remain missing, he said, adding that rescue teams were still searching for more bodies. President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said in an earlier statement that three children were rescued from the vehicle during a condolence message to bereaved families. South Africa has grappled with flooding in recent years with some of them deadly. In 2022, floods fueled by heavy downpours left up to 400 people dead in Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal province.
CNN
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Children swept away in school bus among at least 49 killed in South Africa flooding
At least 49 people are confirmed dead after flooding hit South Africa, including children whose school bus was swept away during the extreme weather, officials said. An intense cold front has ripped across parts of South Africa, bringing rain and snow and triggering floods. In the Eastern Cape, one of the hardest-hit provinces, floodwaters have forced many people out of their homes, causing power outages and road closures, according to the provincial authority. Earlier on Wednesday, the state broadcaster SABC reported that a school bus was swept into a river in Decoligny village on Tuesday morning while en route to school. The provincial government said that 13 people, including pupils, their driver, and his assistant, were on the bus. 'Sadly four of those learners have been confirmed to be deceased together with the driver and the conductor of the mini-bus', Eastern Cape premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon. Four others remain missing, he said, adding that rescue teams were still searching for more bodies. President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said in an earlier statement that three children were rescued from the vehicle during a condolence message to bereaved families. South Africa has grappled with flooding in recent years with some of them deadly. In 2022, floods fueled by heavy downpours left up to 400 people dead in Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal province.
CNN
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Children swept away in school bus among at least 49 killed in South Africa flooding
At least 49 people are confirmed dead after flooding hit South Africa, including children whose school bus was swept away during the extreme weather, officials said. An intense cold front has ripped across parts of South Africa, bringing rain and snow and triggering floods. In the Eastern Cape, one of the hardest-hit provinces, floodwaters have forced many people out of their homes, causing power outages and road closures, according to the provincial authority. Earlier on Wednesday, the state broadcaster SABC reported that a school bus was swept into a river in Decoligny village on Tuesday morning while en route to school. The provincial government said that 13 people, including pupils, their driver, and his assistant, were on the bus. 'Sadly four of those learners have been confirmed to be deceased together with the driver and the conductor of the mini-bus', Eastern Cape premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon. Four others remain missing, he said, adding that rescue teams were still searching for more bodies. President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said in an earlier statement that three children were rescued from the vehicle during a condolence message to bereaved families. South Africa has grappled with flooding in recent years with some of them deadly. In 2022, floods fueled by heavy downpours left up to 400 people dead in Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal province.
