PRETORIA, March 30 (NNN-SANEWS) — Cabinet has extended its condolences to the families of victims of Cyclone Idai, which has devastated parts of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
The cyclone left a trail of destruction, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, destroyed vast areas, cut off communication networks and made roads impassable.
In the spirit of Ubuntu, President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the call for assistance from our neighbours by approving various interventions, including search-and-rescue operations.
“Cabinet expresses its appreciation on the work done by our South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Health,” Cabinet said in a statement.
SANDF helicopters helped to rescue people trapped by the floods and the SAPS also deployed specially trained dogs with their handlers to the search-and-rescue mission.
Cabinet also thanked non-governmental organisations and the Gift of the Givers for providing ongoing humanitarian and disaster-relief assistance.
Earlier this week, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said it is continuing its relief efforts in flood-ravaged Malawi and Mozambique.
Having been deployed on March 16 to support flood relief efforts with the United Nations, joint inter-departmental, inter-agency and other multinational organisations in Mozambique and Malawi, the SANDF conducted search and rescue missions in support of other humanitarian agencies.
Using its air platforms, the SANDF is also engaged in multilateral efforts to provide lifesaving and sustenance supplies to areas cut off by the devastating cyclone.
“The SANDF was critical to all agencies operating in the area in that it provided air-lifts to assist in most low-lying areas, including Beira in Mozambique, which saw entire villages submerged under water, with death toll rising and many people unaccounted for,” the SANDF said in a statement.
The SANDF relief teams have been deployed to those acutely inaccessible areas of Malawi such as Chapinga, Chinkwangwa, Zomba District in Makina, and Phalombwe in Phaloni. — NNN-SAnews
