South Africa has declared a national disaster after torrential rains and widespread flooding killed at least 30 people in the country’s northern regions. The storms have also destroyed thousands of homes and left roads and bridges impassable.
The declaration, made by the head of the National Disaster Management Centre and confirmed by the government, allows authorities to coordinate a nationwide response to the crisis. Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces have been hardest hit, accounting for all reported deaths, though at least three other provinces have also been affected. Flooding also swept through parts of Mozambique after rivers burst their banks, submerging whole neighbourhoods and forcing thousands from their homes, among them a woman who delivered her baby on a roof while seeking refuge from the waters.
A resident of Gaza province north of Maputo, Chauna Macuacua, told AFP that her sister-in-law had given birth on a roof where the family was waiting to be rescued since Thursday.
“We’ve been here for 4 days. My nephew was born yesterday around 11 PM (2100 GMT), and we still haven’t had any rescue or assistance for the baby and mother,” she said.
“I classify the disaster as a national disaster,” Elias Sithole, head of South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre, said in a statement on Sunday.
Rescue teams continued searching for survivors and recovering bodies over the weekend, although floodwaters had begun to recede in some areas, including the Kruger National Park, which was closed and evacuated on Thursday.
“Day visitation to the park will resume as of tomorrow,” South African National Parks announced on social media, still urging visitors to “exercise caution”.
Limpopo’s premier estimated losses in the province at around $240 million, after numerous homes and buildings were destroyed.
According to figures released by the Mozambican government on Friday February 16, more than 173,000 people had been affected by the floods across the country.
