Latest news with #LubabaloOscarMabuyane
The Star
19-06-2025
- Climate
- The Star
South Africa's Eastern Cape holds Day of Mourning as flood death toll reaches 92
CAPE TOWN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Eastern Cape Province observed a provincial Day of Mourning on Thursday to honor the victims of last week's devastating floods, with the death toll rising to 92. The memorial service, held at King Sabatha Dalindyebo Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in Mthatha, brought together government officials and community members to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and extend condolences to grieving families. "Currently, the number of people who lost their lives following the adverse weather conditions stands at 92 across the Eastern Cape and this includes a body of a teenage girl discovered along the Mthatha River early this evening," according to a statement issued on Wednesday night by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government. Mthatha, located in the OR Tambo District Municipality, remains the hardest-hit area across the province, and authorities have warned that the death toll may continue to rise, it said. "Our collective immediate task is to work with families to ensure that the 92 souls we lost in this tragedy are buried with dignity," Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane said at the memorial service. "After that, we work together to start the rebuilding process in the affected communities." According to the premier, more than 4,300 people have been affected by the floods, with 4,229 households destroyed and another 1,963 sustaining partial roof damage. Meanwhile, a total of 413 schools have sustained damage, affecting 1,471 classrooms and disrupting education for approximately 48,341 learners, he said, noting that "we have not listed damaged roads, bridges, hospitals, and water infrastructure but for now we estimate the damage at 4 billion South African rand (about 220 million U.S. dollars)." Mabuyane also warned that the recent disaster must serve as a wake-up call. "There are many lessons we must all learn from this kind of tragedy. However, today I want to highlight the reality of climate change," he said. "It is no longer enough to react to disasters. We must prepare for them and prevent them where possible." "As the people of the Eastern Cape, we carry the resilience of centuries, the warmth of Ubuntu, and the stubborn hope that always gets us through difficulties. Together, we will come out of this tragedy not just standing, but walking forward with purpose," he concluded.
IOL News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- IOL News
Rescue teams deployed in Eastern Cape, flood death toll rises to 57
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane assessing the damage to homes and infrastructure this week after floods lashed the province. Image: Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane / Facebook Rescue teams raced on Thursday to find possible survivors after heavy rain flooded parts of the Eastern Cape earlier in the week as the death toll rose to 57. Torrential rains and freezing temperatures struck on Monday, causing major flooding and landslides that submerged houses. The severe weather also lashed parts of KwaZulu-Natal. Images on local media showed homes completely under water and rescuers wading through the mud. Power and water supplies have been affected and hundreds have been forced to relocate. "As the water subsides, more bodies are being discovered," said Caroline Gallant, Eastern Cape manager at the South African Red Cross Society, which has sent assistance to the disaster zone. More than 3,000 houses have been affected, she told AFP, adding it was "the worst ever disaster" recorded in the area. President Cyril Ramaphosa called the floods "unprecedented" and said he would visit the disaster-hit region on Friday. A previous death toll of 49 has now risen to 57, Velenkosini Hlabisa, Minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, said. "The figures are growing. This (57) is the figure... for the entire Eastern Cape province in three different areas," he told reporters, while visiting the worst hit city, Mthatha. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Among the dead are at least four children who were in a school van that was swept away by the rising water, Premier Oscar Mabuyane said in a briefing on Wednesday. Four other children are missing, while three were found alive. Two adults with them on the bus also died. Another child died separately when he was swept away by water while walking to school, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said early Thursday. "We are reeling," she told SABC News. One rescuer, who spoke to AFP on Thursday on the condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to speak to the media, said his team was expecting to find more bodies and possibly survivors. "We are going door to door to see, because yesterday we did find people locked inside houses who couldn't get out and were deceased," he said. At least 600 people have been displaced, the provincial government said, with many sheltering in community halls. Infrastructure has also been damaged and at least 20 health facilities affected, the local authority said. "The numbers will increase dramatically," said Ali Sablay, a spokesperson for the Gift of the Givers Foundation, a disaster response charity that deployed teams to the area. "In the last 24 hours the number of people requiring assistance has jumped from 5,000 to 10,000," he told AFP.
Al Arabiya
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Search resumes after floods kill 49 in South Africa
Rescue teams in South Africa raced on Thursday to reach survivors after heavy rains flooded parts of an eastern province, with 49 people already confirmed dead and fears the toll could rise. Torrential rains and freezing temperatures struck the largely rural and underdeveloped Eastern Cape on Monday, causing major flooding that submerged houses and swept away at least one minibus transporting children to school, four of whom were still missing. 'We may have more people unaccounted for,' Eastern Cape government spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie told AFP. Rantjie said that five teams were involved in search and rescue efforts around the city of Mthatha, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Johannesburg. Among the 49 confirmed dead, at least four were children, the province's top official, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, said on Wednesday. They had been in a school minibus carrying 11 children that was swept away by high water. Authorities said four children and two adults in the bus were confirmed to have died, while three children were found alive. 'We have never seen this kind of combination of snow and torrential rains in winter simultaneously,' Mabuyane said. 'We are reeling,' Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube told public broadcaster SABC News in an interview from Mthatha early Thursday. She said that in addition to the schoolgoers in the minibus, a boy died when he was swept away by water while walking to school. Images on local media showed houses completely under water and rescue teams wading through the mud. Around 600 people have been displaced, the provincial government said, with many sheltering in community halls. There was also significant damage to infrastructure, including to power and water supplies, with at least 20 health facilities affected, local authorities said. The province, where Nelson Mandela was born, is among the poorest in the country, with 72 percent of its population living below the poverty line, according to the Southern African Regional Poverty Network. President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that emergency services, including the National Disaster Management Centre, were 'giving the requisite attention to crises as they unfold.' Snow and heavy rainfall are common during winter in South Africa, but the country is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability and change, which increases the frequency and severity of droughts, floods, and wildfires, according to the Green Climate Fund.
Times of Oman
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Times of Oman
South Africa winter storm leaves over 40 dead
At least 49 people have died in South Africa after heavy rains caused major flooding Eastern Cape province, officials said on Wednesday. The largely rural region, which stretches from the Indian Ocean into high inland mountains, has been battered by heavy rain and snow since the weekend. Much of South Africa has been struck by heavy rainfall and bitterly cold conditions in the past days. "We have never seen this kind of combination of snow and torrential rains in winter simultaneously," Eastern Cape premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane told reporters. Schoolchildren among the dead Among those who perished were four children on a school minibus that was swept away by the waters, provincial authorities said. "Sadly, four of those learners have been confirmed to be deceased, together with the driver and the conductor of the minibus taxi," Mabuyane said. "Four learners are still missing and are still being looked for," he continued, adding that three others had been found alive.
RTHK
12-06-2025
- Climate
- RTHK
49 killed in South African flooding, children missing
49 killed in South African flooding, children missing The torrential rains over recent days have forced hundreds of families to leave their homes. Photo: AFP The death toll from flooding in eastern parts of South Africa has risen to 49, including four children on a school bus that was swept away, a provincial governor said on Wednesday. Heavy rainfall, snow and cold winds have particularly affected areas of the Eastern Cape province, with most of the country experiencing brutal winter weather conditions since last week. "As of now, the stats have escalated to 49" deaths, Eastern Cape premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane told reporters, citing police figures. The dead included four children on a school minibus taxi carrying 13 people that was swept away by a flood near the city of Mthatha, Mabuyane said. "Sadly, four of those learners have been confirmed to be deceased, together with the driver and the conductor of the minibus taxi," he said. "Four learners are still missing and are still being looked for." Three others had been found alive, he said. Mabuyane did not give details of the other victims of the severe winter storm and said the situation was evolving. (AFP)
