Ramaphosa: Climate change disasters our new reality
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the deadly floods in the Eastern Cape are a direct result of climate change.
Torrential rains have led to widespread flooding in the OR Tambo district, killing at least 78 people in the province.
The inclement weather resulted in the destruction of homes, roads, bridges, clinics and schools.
Ramaphosa visited the flood ravaged Mthatha on Friday to asses the extent of the damage.
"We are very disturbed that so many people have passed away, but it could have been much worse. The response teams acted quickly.
"This is a catastrophic disaster for us, which is caused by climate change. Now that we are confronting floods, it just goes to show the severity of the issue of climate change.
"Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are now prone to continuous annual disasters. This is now our new reality, we must now be more alive to the fact that climate change is now a real serious challenge that we must confront," he said.
Ramaphosa also confirmed that a number of people are still missing.
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