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Glasgow Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
South Africa declares national disaster as flooding death toll rises to 92
The Eastern Cape government honoured the victims of last week's floods with a provincial Day of Mourning and a memorial service at King Sabatha Dalindyebo Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in Mthatha, one of the few schools whose infrastructure remained intact. Speaking at the public memorial service, Zolile Williams, a member of the executive council, said the people of the coastal province had not been the same since the disaster hit, and many now faced the challenging task of rebuilding. 'Since June 9, this province has been hit hard by unprecedented, catastrophic and unimaginable disasters, where in the whole of the province, about 92 people have perished,' Mr Williams said. 'Since that day, the Eastern Cape has not been the same. It is the first time we have experienced so many dead bodies, some of whom have not yet been found.' An extreme weather front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of the province caused flooding in one of South Africa's poorest provinces last week, leaving dozens dead and roads, houses, schools and other infrastructure damaged. At least two schoolchildren who were washed away in a bus are among the unverified number of missing persons according to local media reports, while thousands have since been displaced. Authorities have appealed for residents to report missing people so rescuers could better understand how many people they were still looking for. Religious leaders from different Christian religions were among the hundreds of mourners who attended the memorial ceremony, lighting candles as a symbolic expression of remembering the 92 people who died in the floods. In a government notice on Wednesday, Elias Sithole, director of the National Disaster Management Centre, said severe weather had caused property damage and the disruption of vital services in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, and the Free State, which prompted South Africa to declare a national state of disaster. The declaration allows the government to release funding for relief and rehabilitation and will remain in place until it lapses or until the conditions can no longer be categorised as such and is revoked by the head of the centre. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently visited the town of Mthatha, in Eastern Cape province, where the floods hit hardest. Many of the Eastern Cape flood victims lived on floodplains close to rivers. Government officials said poor neighbourhoods with informal dwellings were most severely impacted. Authorities have been criticised for the rescue response but also for the state of the infrastructure in the area.
Leader Live
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
South Africa declares national disaster as flooding death toll rises to 92
The Eastern Cape government honoured the victims of last week's floods with a provincial Day of Mourning and a memorial service at King Sabatha Dalindyebo Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in Mthatha, one of the few schools whose infrastructure remained intact. Speaking at the public memorial service, Zolile Williams, a member of the executive council, said the people of the coastal province had not been the same since the disaster hit, and many now faced the challenging task of rebuilding. 'Since June 9, this province has been hit hard by unprecedented, catastrophic and unimaginable disasters, where in the whole of the province, about 92 people have perished,' Mr Williams said. 'Since that day, the Eastern Cape has not been the same. It is the first time we have experienced so many dead bodies, some of whom have not yet been found.' An extreme weather front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of the province caused flooding in one of South Africa's poorest provinces last week, leaving dozens dead and roads, houses, schools and other infrastructure damaged. At least two schoolchildren who were washed away in a bus are among the unverified number of missing persons according to local media reports, while thousands have since been displaced. Authorities have appealed for residents to report missing people so rescuers could better understand how many people they were still looking for. Religious leaders from different Christian religions were among the hundreds of mourners who attended the memorial ceremony, lighting candles as a symbolic expression of remembering the 92 people who died in the floods. In a government notice on Wednesday, Elias Sithole, director of the National Disaster Management Centre, said severe weather had caused property damage and the disruption of vital services in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, and the Free State, which prompted South Africa to declare a national state of disaster. The declaration allows the government to release funding for relief and rehabilitation and will remain in place until it lapses or until the conditions can no longer be categorised as such and is revoked by the head of the centre. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently visited the town of Mthatha, in Eastern Cape province, where the floods hit hardest. Many of the Eastern Cape flood victims lived on floodplains close to rivers. Government officials said poor neighbourhoods with informal dwellings were most severely impacted. Authorities have been criticised for the rescue response but also for the state of theinfrastructure in the area.
The Star
a day ago
- Climate
- The Star
South Africa's Eastern Cape holds Day of Mourning as flood death toll reaches 92
CAPE TOWN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Eastern Cape Province observed a provincial Day of Mourning on Thursday to honor the victims of last week's devastating floods, with the death toll rising to 92. The memorial service, held at King Sabatha Dalindyebo Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in Mthatha, brought together government officials and community members to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and extend condolences to grieving families. "Currently, the number of people who lost their lives following the adverse weather conditions stands at 92 across the Eastern Cape and this includes a body of a teenage girl discovered along the Mthatha River early this evening," according to a statement issued on Wednesday night by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government. Mthatha, located in the OR Tambo District Municipality, remains the hardest-hit area across the province, and authorities have warned that the death toll may continue to rise, it said. "Our collective immediate task is to work with families to ensure that the 92 souls we lost in this tragedy are buried with dignity," Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane said at the memorial service. "After that, we work together to start the rebuilding process in the affected communities." According to the premier, more than 4,300 people have been affected by the floods, with 4,229 households destroyed and another 1,963 sustaining partial roof damage. Meanwhile, a total of 413 schools have sustained damage, affecting 1,471 classrooms and disrupting education for approximately 48,341 learners, he said, noting that "we have not listed damaged roads, bridges, hospitals, and water infrastructure but for now we estimate the damage at 4 billion South African rand (about 220 million U.S. dollars)." Mabuyane also warned that the recent disaster must serve as a wake-up call. "There are many lessons we must all learn from this kind of tragedy. However, today I want to highlight the reality of climate change," he said. "It is no longer enough to react to disasters. We must prepare for them and prevent them where possible." "As the people of the Eastern Cape, we carry the resilience of centuries, the warmth of Ubuntu, and the stubborn hope that always gets us through difficulties. Together, we will come out of this tragedy not just standing, but walking forward with purpose," he concluded.
North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
South Africa declares national disaster as flooding death toll rises to 92
The Eastern Cape government honoured the victims of last week's floods with a provincial Day of Mourning and a memorial service at King Sabatha Dalindyebo Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in Mthatha, one of the few schools whose infrastructure remained intact. Speaking at the public memorial service, Zolile Williams, a member of the executive council, said the people of the coastal province had not been the same since the disaster hit, and many now faced the challenging task of rebuilding. 'Since June 9, this province has been hit hard by unprecedented, catastrophic and unimaginable disasters, where in the whole of the province, about 92 people have perished,' Mr Williams said. 'Since that day, the Eastern Cape has not been the same. It is the first time we have experienced so many dead bodies, some of whom have not yet been found.' An extreme weather front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of the province caused flooding in one of South Africa's poorest provinces last week, leaving dozens dead and roads, houses, schools and other infrastructure damaged. At least two schoolchildren who were washed away in a bus are among the unverified number of missing persons according to local media reports, while thousands have since been displaced. Authorities have appealed for residents to report missing people so rescuers could better understand how many people they were still looking for. Religious leaders from different Christian religions were among the hundreds of mourners who attended the memorial ceremony, lighting candles as a symbolic expression of remembering the 92 people who died in the floods. In a government notice on Wednesday, Elias Sithole, director of the National Disaster Management Centre, said severe weather had caused property damage and the disruption of vital services in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, and the Free State, which prompted South Africa to declare a national state of disaster. The declaration allows the government to release funding for relief and rehabilitation and will remain in place until it lapses or until the conditions can no longer be categorised as such and is revoked by the head of the centre. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently visited the town of Mthatha, in Eastern Cape province, where the floods hit hardest. Many of the Eastern Cape flood victims lived on floodplains close to rivers. Government officials said poor neighbourhoods with informal dwellings were most severely impacted. Authorities have been criticised for the rescue response but also for the state of theinfrastructure in the area.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
South Africa declares national disaster as flooding death toll rises to 92
The Eastern Cape government honoured the victims of last week's floods with a provincial Day of Mourning and a memorial service at King Sabatha Dalindyebo Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in Mthatha, one of the few schools whose infrastructure remained intact. Speaking at the public memorial service, Zolile Williams, a member of the executive council, said the people of the coastal province had not been the same since the disaster hit, and many now faced the challenging task of rebuilding. 'Since June 9, this province has been hit hard by unprecedented, catastrophic and unimaginable disasters, where in the whole of the province, about 92 people have perished,' Mr Williams said. 'Since that day, the Eastern Cape has not been the same. It is the first time we have experienced so many dead bodies, some of whom have not yet been found.' An extreme weather front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of the province caused flooding in one of South Africa's poorest provinces last week, leaving dozens dead and roads, houses, schools and other infrastructure damaged. At least two schoolchildren who were washed away in a bus are among the unverified number of missing persons according to local media reports, while thousands have since been displaced. Authorities have appealed for residents to report missing people so rescuers could better understand how many people they were still looking for. Religious leaders from different Christian religions were among the hundreds of mourners who attended the memorial ceremony, lighting candles as a symbolic expression of remembering the 92 people who died in the floods. In a government notice on Wednesday, Elias Sithole, director of the National Disaster Management Centre, said severe weather had caused property damage and the disruption of vital services in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, and the Free State, which prompted South Africa to declare a national state of disaster. The declaration allows the government to release funding for relief and rehabilitation and will remain in place until it lapses or until the conditions can no longer be categorised as such and is revoked by the head of the centre. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently visited the town of Mthatha, in Eastern Cape province, where the floods hit hardest. Many of the Eastern Cape flood victims lived on floodplains close to rivers. Government officials said poor neighbourhoods with informal dwellings were most severely impacted. Authorities have been criticised for the rescue response but also for the state of theinfrastructure in the area.
