By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu confirmed the revised death toll from recent floods in the Eastern Cape that has now reached 86.
Mchunu, visited Mthatha on Saturday to assess the police’ response to and relief efforts to the floods.
He was flanked by the National Commissioner of the South African Police Services (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola.
According to Mchunu, SAPS has been hard at work on the ground since the tragedy struck.
“SAPS has been at hand assisting and collaborating with the district municipality and doing quite a lot of work rescuing those who needed to be rescued.
“Unfortunately, we know that many area deceased and there is reference to the number rising up to 86. “That is quite a tragedy, and we are all very saddened by the turn of events,” he said.
Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane has declared 19 June a national day of mourning.
Mabuyane said government and funeral homes are working together to support affected families.
He said postmortems are under way with many bodies already collected for burials.
“We have agreed on the 19th of June, that will be the day that we are calling all people in South Africa to give yourself a moment just to give honour and praise to God that we still have many lives that were rescued and saved,” said Mabuyane.
While temporary shelters are being considered for those displaced, Mabuyane has warned that rebuilding on unsafe land cannot continue.
“Those who have built houses below the flood line should not go back there. It has been difficult for municipality to service this part because this land belongs to someone,” he said.
“We’ve got to have a conversation now, but how you regularise that so that municipality can come up and control and regulate how people are settling here.”
The area worst hit by the floods and subsequent landslides was the city of Mthatha, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Johannesburg.
The city is near the village of Qunu, birthplace of Nelson Mandela, the late anti-apartheid hero and former president.
According to the Green Climate Fund, the country is highly vulnerable to the impact of climate variability and change, which increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather.