JOHANNESBURG - The National Disaster Management Centre has said efforts are being made to relocate Eastern Cape residents who live in high-risk areas.
Heavy rain in the province has devastated low-lying neighbourhoods and caused billions of rands in damage.
Thabo Khupari of the National Disaster Management Centre said there is progress.
“One of the measures that we are implementing is to ensure that we move the affected communities to safer areas. Climate change is within us and it's going to happen year in year out.
“Unfortunately, we can't prevent that, but we should come up with measures, for instance, in the Eastern Cape, in Nelson Mandela Metro Bay municipality, where some of the communities are affected.
“There are communities that have been relocated in Kariega to safer areas because they were affected by floods in 2025. So we are moving, it's a work in progress, but it's some of the measures that we are implementing to work with the municipalities to ensure that land is available to move the communities to safer areas,” Khupari added.
Rescue SA’s director, Aidan Justus, said personnel, rescue vehicles and volunteers are ready.
“We’ve had engagement from government. The willingness to engage with organisations like ourselves, to bring our skill set, is important,” he said.