Ramaphosa visits flood-ravaged Mthatha, vows coordinated relief response

By Johnathan Paoli

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the devastation caused by recent severe floods in the Eastern Cape as a catastrophe, blaming them on climate change.

Accompanied by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa and Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, the president visited flood-affected areas in the OR Tambo and Amathole district municipalities, where rising casualties and damaged infrastructure have prompted urgent national intervention.

“This is a catastrophic disaster caused by climate change. The scale of destruction here is heartbreaking, and it underscores the urgent need to build climate-resilient infrastructure and enhance our disaster readiness,” Ramaphosa said on Friday.

Ramaphosa was officially welcomed at Mthatha Airport by Mabuyane, Hlabisa, and OR Tambo District mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana before heading to eFata Bridge to visit the site of a tragic incident where a scholar transport bus was swept away after the bridge collapsed amid heavy rains on Tuesday.

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