CAPE TOWN, April 24 (Xinhua) -- President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged on Wednesday to mobilize resources to help flood victims after severe storms ravaged parts of the country.
Resources will be mobilized in the biggest ways so that the people who are currently in need are assisted, Ramaphosa said as he visited affected areas in KwaZulu-Natal Province.
"This is what we have to do as government and it is for that reason that I decided that I should come and have a look so that we can give some comfort to our people who are currently in devastated situations," the president said.
The death toll from the disaster has risen to 51 in KwaZulu-Natal, the provincial government said.
Heavy storms have battered Durban and other areas in the province since Monday night, leaving a trail of destruction and displacing hundreds of people.
"We are saddened by what happened here, the loss of life is never something that pleases anyone particularly as it happens unexpectedly," Ramaphosa said.
He said he was assured by the National Treasury that it has the money to help the victims.
"So money will be mobilized to assist our people ... These are emergency situations that we budget for," he said.
The government, at all levels, is giving as much assistance as it possibly can, particularly for those who are displaced, the president said.
The Eastern Cape and Free State provinces also experienced severe weather conditions. In Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape, serious flooding prompted the South African Air Force to dispatch helicopters to assist with rescue operations.
The president said he will be going to the Eastern Cape in a few days to see exactly what has happened there.
Ramaphosa commended the rescue services at national, provincial and local government levels.
"We are very pleased that our teams, our units have come to the rescue of a number of people whose lives were at stake," he said.
