48 people are still missing, he said in a televised address on Monday. An estimated 40,000 people were displaced by the floods. “The lives, health and well-being of thousands of people remain at risk,” Ramaphosa said.
Huge amounts of water
Heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides early last week. In the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, about 200 to 400 millimeters of rain fell in 24 hours, Ramaphosa said. Some areas do not have electricity or running water. The Port of Durban, one of Africa’s largest cargo ports, is closed until further notice. Rescue and cleanup squads as well as rescue services are still on duty.
“This is a humanitarian catastrophe that requires massive and urgent relief efforts,” said the head of state. The economic costs of rebuilding infrastructure and lost production are already expected to run into billions of rand (hundreds of millions of euros), Ramaphosa said.
past problems
The Indian Ocean coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal was already struggling with millions of dollars in damage after days of violent protests and looting in July 2021. numerous domestic and foreign tourists.