Johannesburg - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng, has called for government assistance for those affected by the the earthquake that struck Gauteng on Sunday morning.
According to the South African National Seismograph Network (SANSN), the 4.4 to 5.0-level earthquake hit Johannesburg, parts of East Rand, Tshwane, and the Sedibeng region at around 02:38 AM on Sunday, causing material damage to people's houses and properties.
Nkululeko Dunga, EFF provincial chairperson, said that while there were no confirmed casualties, the impact was catastrophic, especially on the already socially and economically disadvantaged residents of Gauteng.
"While the EFF recognises that such natural disasters cannot be controlled or even predicted, the government must always have standing institutions ready to intervene quickly to mitigate damage and avoid loss of life.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated to all of us that South Africa's disaster management plan and infrastructure are incapable of appropriately responding to catastrophic incidents, and in most cases, the people are left to fend for themselves.
"The occurrence of such events should serve to emphasise the need for the government to invest in science, technology, and research in seismology and other disciplines in order to detect these disasters before they occur and evacuate residents for safety where necessary."
Dunga added that the Gauteng government needed to take seriously the urgency to capacitate the Emergency Medical Services to deals with disaster-like incidents.
"The EFF wishes to highlight the fact that this is not the first and only isolated incident in recent years."
"Cases of tremor have been recorded in the province, and this is due to the greedy capitalist extraction of gold and other precious minerals from the African soil without any effort to reinvest in the rehabilitation of the land and to compensate those who are affected and exploited.
"The EFF calls on the Gauteng government and municipalities in affected areas to provide immediate intervention and relief to the affected communities.
"We also call on EFF public representatives and leadership to make themselves available, offer help to the affected residents, and make sure those in need receive the necessary aid," said Dunga.
The Star