Government reaches out to E Cape flood victims

Monday, May 6, 2019

Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is in Ngqeleni, Eastern Cape, today for an outreach programme.

With winter fast approaching, the programme will see the Minister handing out blankets to flood victims in the area. Some residents will also receive television sets.

In recent weeks, South Africa, specifically KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces, has experienced extreme weather conditions, which resulted in floods.

The floods led to massive landslides and the destruction of infrastructure including homes, roads and bridges, displacing some people.

Several Ministers including Sports and Recreation Tokozile Xasa, Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs Zweli Mkhize and Public Works Thulas Nxesi are also in the Eastern Cape today.

Xasa will visit flood victims in Port St. Johns, where she will hand over a cheque of R100 000, blankets, baby diapers and television sets.

Mapisa-Nqakula, Mkhize and Nxesi will conduct a site visit to check pedestrian bridges in areas affected by flooding.

The aim of the assessment of bridges is to ensure that communities are safe, as they use this infrastructure.

Safe bridges will ensure that communities that are cut off from several various amenities and voting stations after the floods are able to have access, including to voting stations.

Furthermore, these pedestrian bridges will help communities to move freely from one side of the river to the other, as they conduct their business. 

Currently, the South African Army Engineering Regiment is building three pedestrian bridges in Port St Johns, two bridges in Mbizana and one bridge in Nyandeni. - SAnews.gov.za