Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has proclaimed the National State of Disaster due to excessive flooding.
According to Ramaphosa, the flood’s consequences will be felt across the country.
At least 443 people have perished as a result of the flooding, with more than 60 people still missing.
South Africa deployed 10,000 troops on Monday to help restore power and water.
“Nearly 4 000 homes completely destroyed, and over 8 300 homes partially damaged in KZN. This is a humanitarian disaster that calls for a massive and urgent relief effort,” said Ramaphosa.
He also said that extensive work is needed to restore the devastating damage.
“Extensive work is underway to restore basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation and waste removal in various areas in the province. “
“These efforts are being hampered by damage to the main supply systems and the inaccessibility of some areas. So repair in some of these areas will take time,” said Ramaphosa.