South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with survivors on Friday after catastrophic floods claimed the lives of at least 78 individuals in the Eastern Cape province, attributing the “catastrophic disaster” to climate change.
Ramaphosa toured the affected area and spoke with survivors, where countless homes, roads, schools, and healthcare facilities were left inundated with mud after being fully submerged in floodwaters, leaving many residents destitute in one of the country’s poorest regions.
Rescue teams were going door to door in search of bodies or potential survivors, as individuals became trapped inside their houses when the water surged in during the night. Some managed to escape to their rooftops, where they waited many hours for assistance.
Ramaphosa visited the location where a school bus was swept away, resulting in the deaths of at least six children and three adults, with four children still unaccounted for. He also spoke with a woman who had lost her mother and at least two of her young nephews, as she wept while recounting her experience to the president.
While snow and heavy rain are typical during winter in South Africa, Ramaphosa noted that coastal regions faced “unprecedented” weather patterns on Thursday.
The Green Climate Fund reports that the nation is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate variability and change, which escalate the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
Officials stated that the death toll from the floods, which was at 78 on Thursday, may continue to increase. On Friday, recovery operations were still underway, with bodies being pulled from a nearby river.
Mthatha, located about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Johannesburg, was most severely impacted by the floods and subsequent landslides. This city is near Qunu, the birthplace of Nelson Mandela, the celebrated anti-apartheid leader and former president.
The South African Red Cross Society, which assisted in the Mthatha region, informed AFP that over 3,500 households had been affected, with many individuals taking refuge in community centres.
