The Government of South Africa has declared a state of national disaster following flooding in seven of the country’s nine provinces due to torrential rains in recent days, which have caused severe property damage in much of the country.
The South African Presidency said in a statement that the objective is «to enable an intensive and coordinated response to the impact of the floods affecting the provinces of Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape and North West».
Thus, he stressed that the National Disaster Management Center «has classified the impact of the current above-normal rainfall in several areas of the country as a national disaster, with Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape provinces being the worst affected.»
«The National Disaster Management Center has received reports of flooded houses, vehicles washed away by floods, backflow in dams and drainage facilities, destruction of basic infrastructure, damage to roads, bridges and a Limpopo hospital,» he said.
In this line, he confirmed that farmers and ranchers have suffered «losses in fields and livestock» by these rains, linked to ‘La Niña’. «Forecasts indicate that this weather pattern will remain in this state during the first part of 2023,» he specified.
Finally, he stressed that «the thoughts of the President, (Cyril) Ramaphosa, are with the affected communities in the country». «The President appreciates the way in which government entities, non-governmental organizations and community structures have responded to date,» he reiterated.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
