Latest news with #Mthatha
News24
6 hours ago
- News24
Gift of the Givers calls for arrest of ‘water mafia' after threats in flood-ravaged Mthatha
Gift of the Givers Foundation staff received threats while providing water to residents in flood-ravaged Mthatha. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu previously condemned the threats, and authorities are providing armed protection for aid workers. The humanitarian organisation called for the arrest of those responsible. Gift of the Givers Foundation founder Imtiaz Sooliman has called for the arrest of the 'water mafia' after aid workers were threatened while distributing water to flood-ravaged residents in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The person who made the threats, he said, was driving a black Toyota Fortuner at the time. His call came days after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and the OR Tambo District Municipality condemned the intimidation of the workers. The municipality has contracts with companies that own water tankers and distribute water to people during outages. Gift of the Givers has been distributing the water for free ever since the floods hit the Eastern Cape, claiming the lives of at least 92 people, most of them in Mthatha. Sooliman said information indicated that someone driving a black Toyota Fortuner had made the threats. 'Gift of the Givers appreciates the message of support from the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, against the water mafia who tried to intimidate Gift of the Givers drivers while delivering life-saving water to the people of Mthatha, who were severely affected by the floods,' he added. READ | Gift of the Givers 'water mafia' intimidation an attack on ubuntu, says Mchunu 'Given the hardship and difficulty of the people and given the fact that [over] 90 people have passed on, the behaviour of the water mafia is totally disgusting. We appreciate the fact that the SAPS acted immediately by sending an armed person in the truck with our drivers, as well as a car following the water tankers. 'The situation has completely calmed down, but we are calling on the community of Mthatha to help us find a black Toyota Fortuner from which the threat was made, and we need that person arrested,' he said Sooliman added that profiteering from people's hardship needed to stop: This is a message to the water mafia: we will take you on wherever you are because Gift of the Givers is not afraid of anyone. 'We have the support of the government, the SAPS, the SANDF, and above all, we have the support of the communities and the municipalities when it comes to assisting people in dire need, as is the case now in Mthatha and the Eastern Cape. 'This kind of heinous behaviour has to stop. We hope that the government will now extend the support it is giving to Gift of the Givers to all areas where the water mafia are capitalising. All those types of tenders have to stop in the interest of saving money and in the interest of the people of our country,' he said. On Wednesday, Mchunu said the police would not tolerate any attempt to intimidate or obstruct those working tirelessly to save lives and bring relief to the people. 'Gift of the Givers has consistently been a source of hope and dignity to South Africans in their hour of need. Any attack on them is an attack on the very principle of ubuntu,' the minister said.
CBC
18 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
'There was nothing we could do,' says South African woman who watched floodwaters engulf her home
One moment, Zukiswa Mbuku and her husband were eating breakfast and having an ordinary Tuesday. The next, they were fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs as raging floodwaters swallowed their home. The elderly couple live near a river in Mthatha, a South African town in the coastal province of Eastern Cape, which is currently under a state of national disaster as people try to recover from last week's deadly floods. Mbuku says she and her husband had just finished eating when a neighbour ran in and warned them to run because the water from the river was rapidly approaching the houses. From the back window, they could already see their garden flooding. "Then we went out through the front door. When we looked down the road, the water was coming," Mbuku told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal. The river water almost seemed to gallop towards them, she said, but soundlessly, like a silent, yet terrifying, horse. Within minutes, it had surrounded their house up to the windows. "We had to rush out without taking anything because everything happened so fast," she said. "There was nothing we could do." 'Unprecedented, catastrophic and unimaginable' An extreme weather front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to one of South Africa's poorest provinces last week, causing flooding that left 92 people dead and roads, houses, schools and other infrastructure damaged. Mthatha was the hardest hit. At least two school children 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. "Since June 9, this province has been hit hard by unprecedented, catastrophic and unimaginable disasters," Zolile Williams, a member of the provincial legislature's executive council, said on Thursday during a memorial service in Mthatha for the victims. "Since that day, the Eastern Cape has not been the same." Struggle to rebuild what's been lost Life has certainly not been the same for Mbuku. She and her husband have since found refuge in a local bed and breakfast, she says, just five homes away from their flooded house. "We are at the curve of the river. So all the houses that are at the curve before the river straightens, they were affected," she said. "The other houses are on the upper side. The water never reached them." When the floodwaters receded, the couple went back to their house to assess the damage. "When my husband opened the front door, the water rushed like anything. It was forceful," she said. "The fridge was floating, chairs were floating, couches were floating." Some of her furniture, she said, had been broken apart and flung about the house. While the house is still standing, it's still too damp and water damaged to move back in, especially with Mbuku's asthma. "We are 70-something years old. It's quite traumatic," she said. "How do you gather and restore what you collected all these years? What do you do?" Community pulls together Declaring a national disaster allows the government to release funding for relief and rehabilitation. But Mbuku says she hasn't received much in the way of help from any government officials. A local councillor phoned them, she says, and "promised that they would do something because of our age." "We thought they would provide us with accommodation, but they didn't," she said. Instead, she says, it was her family who helped find them a place to stay. But she says her community — relatives, neighbours, and members of her church — have stepped up to offer what support they can. "We are assisting one another," she said.
News24
19 hours ago
- News24
Walter Sisulu University employee shot dead at campus gate
A staff member of Walter Sisulu University (WSU) was shot dead on the Mthatha campus on Thursday evening. Eastern Cape police said the employee was discovered inside a stationary vehicle, near the Nkululekweni entrance gate adjacent to the N2 highway, just before 18:00. 'Preliminary forensic analysis confirms the victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds while seated in the driver's [seat]. The motive remains unknown,' said Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana. 'The identity of the deceased will be formally released once next-of-kin notification is complete, as per SAPS (South African Police Service) protocol. Forensic experts and detectives are actively processing the secured crime scene.' Mthatha residents were on Thursday participating in a day of mourning at the nearby King Sabata Dalindyebo TVET College, following devastating floods last week that left at least 92 dead and over 4 000 households destroyed. READ | Walter Sisulu University student remembered as caring and protective at memorial service Acting provincial police commissioner Major General Thandiswa Kupiso said they had mobilised maximum resources to pursue all leads in the staff member's murder. 'Public speculation must be avoided to preserve the integrity of the investigation,' said Kupiso. This is the second reported shooting at the campus in recent months. On 15 April, WSU Bachelor of Education student Sisonke Mbolekwa was shot dead, allegedly by the university's residence manager, Manelisi Mampane. Mampane, who was arrested on charges including murder and attempted murder, is currently out on R10 000 bail.
News24
a day ago
- Climate
- News24
11 hours in a tree: Woman's harrowing survival story as Mthatha floods claim family members
Devastating floods ravaged the Eastern Cape's Mthatha region, killing at least 92 people and leaving multiple families grieving for lost loved ones, with several victims still missing. Infrastructure damage is estimated at R4 billion, including 4 229 destroyed households, 413 damaged schools affecting over 48 341 pupils. Survivors like Talita Qhinga, Asongezwa Ntlabathi and Phumeza Papana have shared heartbreaking stories of watching family members swept away by sudden floodwaters. The Eastern Cape's day of mourning for the deadly Mthatha floods offered a step toward closure for some grieving families, while others remained uncertain as their loved ones are still missing and presumed dead. The provincial government held a solemn day of mourning for victims of the devastating floods that ravaged the Mthatha region, with at least 92 people dead. One of the survivors is a young woman, Talita Qhinga, 22, from Slovo Park near Mthatha. Speaking to News24, Qhinga broke down several times while trying to narrate a story of how she tried in vain to save her family members, four of whom were swept away by a raging current. The current swept Qhinga all the way from Slovo Park to near Highbury Primary School, about 4km from her homestead. She was stranded in a tree in the Mthatha River for close to 11 hours, hungry and cold. The bodies of her mother Nomthandazo, 50, her cousin Nonkoliseko, 40, and niece Esethu, 14, were recovered. Her nephew Lukhanyo, 7, is still missing. 'I was helpless when the incident happened and could not save them. That's the most painful thing for me. The incident happened around 05:00 last Tuesday. It was still dark as it is winter. I took out my phone and switched on its light. The water was raging. Suddenly our bed was floating in water. My niece went to the bedroom of her parents to wake them up,' Qhinga said. In just a few moments, they were overwhelmed by the water. 'I went to save our mother who was struggling. It was in that process that the water swept us away. They all drowned and disappeared in front of me. I stayed on top of the tree, in the cold and in fear, until I was rescued by divers around 16:00 (about 11 hours from the time of the incident),' Qhinga said. She was eventually saved by police divers and taken to hospital for medical observation. Qhinga said Esethu had dreams of going to medical school after high school. 'This is very sad for me. The only closure for me would be the discovery of my nephew (Lukhanyo).' Asongezwa Ntlabathi, 25, from hard-hit Decoligny village, lost five family members – her mother, grandmother and two nephews aged 6 and 8. Her 11-year-old nephew is still missing. Ntlabathi said: We really don't know how we are going to bury them yet, there is one still missing. I don't know how many times I have been in the state mortuary to look for my nephew. In the morning, I am in the morgue and in the afternoon, still the same thing, on a daily basis. Phumeza Papana, from Slovo Park, lost her last-born daughter Neliswa aged 23. 'I was part of the search that discovered her body. I screamed when her lifeless body was later discovered. What was so painful for me is the fact that my daughter died crying for help to be saved.' Finance MEC Mlungisi Mvoko, who was the acting premier as Oscar Mabuyane did not attend the mourning service, said the deadly deluge affected thousands of people, mostly in Mthatha. 'The number of destroyed households is 4 229 with 1 963 households with partial roof damage. The number of schools damaged is 413, with 1 471 classrooms damaged. The number of affected learners in those schools totals 48 341. We have not listed damaged roads, bridges, hospitals and water infrastructure but for now we estimate the damage at R4 billion,' said Mvoko. He said land would be made available for communities whose houses were built close to river banks but who now wanted to be moved.
Arab News
a day ago
- Climate
- Arab News
South Africa declares national disaster as flooding death toll rises to 92
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa was under a declared state of national disaster on Thursday as the death toll from floods caused by severe rains in the Eastern Cape region rose to 92. The Eastern Cape government honored 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 (TVET) 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 have not been the same since the disaster hit, and many are now faced with 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,' said Williams. '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 school children 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 Center, 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 categorized as such and is revoked by the head of the center. 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 neighborhoods with informal dwellings were most severely impacted. Authorities have been criticized for the rescue response but also for the state of the infrastructure in the area.
