President Lazarus Chakwera says Malawi is collaborating with her regional partners to urgently render moral and material support towards relief and recovery efforts in South Africa where thousands have been affected by floods.
Chakwera said this yesterday in a statement in which he conveyed sympathies to the President of South Africa, His Excellency Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and to all South Africans for the loss of life, property and social order due to destructive floods that have affected KwaZulu Natal Province.
“We commiserate with our brothers and sisters because of the Ubuntu that binds us as family, by which the anguish from the death of over 450 people who have lost their lives touches us personally,” said Chakwera.
He added that the hearts of Malawians doubly break with South Africans everywhere given Malawians’ own recent experience of natural disasters that left a trail of death and destruction weeks ago.
“As South Africa’s friend, Malawi stands in solidarity with the President and people of South Africa in this time of need. And as Chair of SADC, Malawi is collaborating with her regional partners to urgently render the necessary moral and material support towards relief and recovery efforts aimed at ensuring a return to normalcy for the people of KwaZulu-Natal,” Chakwera said.
In South Africa, nearly 4,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 8,000 damaged, most in the coastal city of Durban and its surrounding areas due to floods.
More than 440 people have died, and the search is continuing for 63 people who are still missing, according to the BBC.
Some of the victims were swept away by swollen rivers and mudslides.
Malawi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week that one Malawian died after his house collapsed on him in KwaZulu Natal.
The government has since declared a nation-wide state of disaster.
