President Cyril Ramaphosa will travel to flood-affected regions in the Eastern Cape. Picture: OR Tambo District Municipality
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa will visit the Eastern Cape on Tuesday in the aftermath of the recent floods that claimed at least four lives in the OR Tambo District.
The torrential rainfall over the past week resulted in loss of life, displacement of communities and damage to infrastructure.
Communities in Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill, Nyandeni and King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipalities were among those affected.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that the floods disrupted critical infrastructure, water and electricity supplies, and teaching and learning, while roads and bridges had also collapsed.
Magwenya added thatthe government had activated a working Special Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management to provide support and relief to the affected communities.
“Teams comprising national, provincial and local spheres of government have been assessing the damage, and providing emergency support in the form of shelter, food, blankets and other essentials,” Magwenya said.
He added that Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembi Nkadimeng, and Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane to interact with residents and other stakeholders and to assess current response and recovery efforts and further actions or resources needed to help communities ravaged.
"On arrival, the president will visit the Port St Johns Youth Centre, which is housing residents who have lost homes in the floods. The president and his delegation will then proceed to damaged roads in the Mthumbane area, close to Port St Johns’ Second Beach,” Magwenya said.