JOHANNESBURG - Multi-disciplinary teams have been deployed in Limpopo and Mpumalanga as disruptive rainfall continues to batter the two provinces.
Disaster management teams are racing against time to rescue stranded residents amid widespread flooding and infrastructure damage.
CoGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has painted a grim picture of conditions on the ground, saying some areas remain inaccessible, making it difficult to conduct proper assessments and determine the most effective response to the catastrophe.
According to Hlabisa, helicopters have been deployed as several bridges have been washed away, cutting off communities.
“True evaluation will only be possible once the water has subsided,” the Minister said.
A Red Level 10 warning remains in place for both provinces as heavy rains persist.
Several fatalities have been reported, including the death of a two-year-old child.
Scores of residents have also been displaced after their homes were swept away by floodwaters.
Hlabisa said communities have also stepped in to assist emergency services with search and rescue operations.
In Giyani, residents helped search for a five-year-old child who had gone missing during the floods.
It was only after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit that confirmation was received that the child had been found deceased.