President Cyril Ramaphosa is under more pressure than he’s ever been during his four-and-a-half years in charge – Photo: GCIS / Flickr
Ramaphosa labels KZN floods ‘catastrophe of enormous proportions’
President Cyril Ramaphosa shared his thoughts on the horrific flooding that occurred in KZN which resulted in the loss of life of 395 people.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is under more pressure than he’s ever been during his four-and-a-half years in charge – Photo: GCIS / Flickr
President Cyril Ramaphosa has referred to the floods in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) as a ‘catastrophe of enormous proportions’. The president shared that it is one that the country has not seen before.
Ramaphosa feels the loss of life in KZN
Ramaphosa was speaking at the Alshaddai Termagniturbanacle International Church in Mpumalanga. The president spoke about the loss of life that occurred due to the KZN floods.
The death toll in the flood-ravaged province stands at 395 with thousands of homes facing damage. Bridges and roads have been washed away and residents have been left stranded.
The President shared that over 40,000 people had been impacted by the disaster. He expects that more will be confirmed as many have been displaced while their houses were destroyed.
The President shared that a family he had visited lost 10 members at one go. He went on to explain that it was one of the ‘saddest moments’ he experienced. The President shared that it was a tragic event and the pain and suffering that residents of KZN are feeling will go on for years.
“I went to one family that had lost 10 family members all at one go. That was one of the saddest moments that I experienced, even as president. To look at family members who have lost 10 of their family members in one event, ranging from adults, right to young children. Some of them just saw their family members being taken away by the river, by the water, as they watched. Unable to rescue them, reaching out with their hand to hold them, but the power of the water just took them away. That has been a very, very sad moment for our people,”
President Cyril Ramaphosa
The flood-ravaged province needs work, according to the president
The president went on to explain that a lot had to be done in KZN. He shared that the floods and droughts in other parts of SA are an indication of climate change. Adding that SA needs to be prepared for this, reports TimesLIVE.
Ramaphosa said the floods and droughts in other parts of the country were an indication of the reality of climate change that the country needed to be prepared for.
