South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to help the victims of devastating east coast floods on Wednesday, as the death toll rose to 259 from heavy rains that washed out roads and disrupted shipping in one of Africa's busiest ports.
Ramaphosa visited families who had lost loved ones in KwaZulu-Natal province, including a family with four children, after floods and mudslides ravaged their homes on Tuesday.
Nonala Ndlovu, chief director of the Department of Cooperative Governance for KwaZulu-Natal, told Reuters told Reuters on Wednesday evening that the death toll had not been updated beyond the 259 that was reported earlier in the day. "You're battling one of the biggest incidents we've seen and we thought this only happens in other countries like Mozambique or Zimbabwe," Ramaphosa told the victims.
"My neighbours, they tried to assist me, it took two hours. After two hours I survived but unfortunately my child did not survive," he said.