Latest news with #MesuliNgqondwana
The Herald
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald
Death toll in Eastern Cape floods rises to 86
The death toll in the Eastern Cape floods has risen to 86 with more than 1,000 people displaced. Police minister Senzo Mchunu confirmed the number after he and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola met police officials from the Mthatha area on Saturday. Mchunu commended police for their ongoing efforts as search and rescue efforts and mop-up operations continue in the flood-ravaged province which suffered billions of rand damage to infrastructure. 'Please continue to assist where you are called on as this makes it appear to people that government is lending a hand in their hour of need. Let's ignore the comments that the district municipality opened the sluice gates leading to the disaster.' OR Tambo district municipal officials denied allegations the municipality recklessly opened the sluice gates of the Mthatha Dam, causing flooding and deaths along the Mthatha River. The claims, circulating on social media, suggested the municipality's actions worsened the damage caused by heavy rainfall. However, the municipality has dismissed these claims as mischievous and dangerous misinformation. OR Tambo mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana said: 'In times such as these, misinformation fuels panic, confuses communities and undermines the real work being done to protect and support our people.' Ngqondwana described the allegations as an improbable theory, highlighting the widespread devastation in the district. 'The municipality is working to reinforce water delivery trucks to support affected communities, with a need for more trucks to meet the demand.' This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa, national ministers and provincial government officials led by Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane visited affected areas, including the worst-hit village in Mthatha, Dicolyn, on Friday. H e addressed about 100 displaced residents at the Sinolwazi Senior Secondary School. 'We are not used to losing so many people at one time, that is why I came to see for myself what happened,' Ramaphosa said. He said he had received an extensive briefing from Mabuyane, and praised the response from the three spheres of government in helping the victims and searching for those who were still missing. 'That to me demonstrates the capability of our government in responding to disasters like this. 'As the premier says, it could have been much worse than this. 'Obviously, we are disturbed that so many people passed away but it could have been much worse. He said a day of mourning is being considered to remember those who lost their lives in the catastrophic event It's unclear how many people are still missing. TimesLIVE
News24
2 days ago
- Climate
- News24
Eastern Cape floods death toll rises to 57 as search continues for missing victims
The death toll from the devastating Eastern Cape floods has reached 57, and several people are unaccounted for. Among the dead are six Jumba Senior Secondary School pupils who lost their lives when their school transport vehicle was swept away during flooding. OR Tambo District Municipality Mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana said the tragedy was the first of its kind in the area. The death toll from the floods that have battered the Eastern Cape has increased to 57, according to Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa. He is leading a delegation of senior officials who are assessing the extent of the infrastructure damage caused by the severe floods that engulfed several areas, including Decoligny village near Mthatha, after severe weather hit the province. Addressing the media in Mthatha on Thursday, along with Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and his provincial counterpart, Zolile Williams, Hlabisa said the situation was a 'logistical nightmare' due to the large number of deaths, which was expected to increase. Several people are still missing. 'We would appeal to the media to be more sensitive, but we support transparency,' he added. 'We want to extend our gratitude to all our forces who have been on the ground at the time this disaster struck.' Hlabisa added that the government would determine the extent of intervention necessary after carrying out a full assessment. 'On behalf of the government, I want to convey our condolences to all the people of Mthatha and the Eastern Cape, where a tragedy occurred as a result of the bad weather since the weekend,' he said. 'We have descended on Mthatha in order to give our support and ensure that when people are in a difficult situation, the government is not absent.' Gwarube and Education MEC Fundile Gade also visited Jumba Senior Secondary School, which lost six pupils during the flooding when their school transport was swept away while crossing a flooded bridge. Three pupils were rescued, and four are still missing. 'We remain particularly concerned on our side regarding the four learners [from Jumba Senior Secondary who] are still missing. We look forward to supporting the search and rescue mission. This is a massive tragedy,' she said. 'We are here for you until the four children are found. For the children who died, we will ensure a decent funeral for them.' OR Tambo District Municipality Mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana said the tragedy was the first of its kind in the area. 'Quite a big number of our communities do not have access to water. Our engineers have covered some ground in the restoration of infrastructure. We hope that by [Friday] evening, communities would start having water,' he said, adding that some of the damaged water pumps were taken to East London for repairs.
