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President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his sadness at the loss of multiple lives in incidents in the Eastern Cape that have been linked to severe weather conditions.

Six bodies were recovered near Mthatha and another near Tsolo in the Eastern Cape in incidents arising from flooding.

In the aftermath of another incident, three children have been rescued while a number of their fellow learners are missing after the vehicle in which they were travelling to school was swept away by floodwaters near Mthatha.

President Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to the bereaved families, affected communities and Eastern Cape residents at large.

The President says these incidents and others that may unfold during winter highlights the need for South Africans to display caution, care and cooperation as the worst impacts of winter weather take effect across the country.

Residents, businesses, infrastructure and livestock and wildlife in various provinces are currently affected by the annual, seasonal impacts of winter conditions.

Some of these impacts have claimed lives and remain life-threatening and harmful to businesses and the livelihoods of workers.

President Ramaphosa's thoughts are with citizens who are affected in diverse ways.

The President assures the nation that national, provincial and municipal authorities – including the National Disaster Management Centre – are giving the requisite attention to crises as they unfold.

President Ramaphosa said: “While government discharges its responsibilities and services to citizens, we welcome the support we see at times such as this from businesses, community- and faith-based organisations, charities and organisations such as the National Sea Rescue Institute.

“I thank everyone from all walks of life who are working to keep all of us safe and comfortable this winter.

“The devastation that comes with nature's forces demands that we work together as best we can to bring relief to families and communities who need this the most.

“This is a time where we need to take care of ourselves in our homes and reach out to neighbours and friends who need help of any kind.

“We also need to exercise caution on our roads when travelling for work or leisure, or as we get out in nature where we may want to see such sights as snowfalls or flooded rivers.

“We must observe by-laws and regulations that exist to protect us in these conditions.

“We must pull together where disaster strikes and while none of us should evade accountability, we must put problem-solving and collaboration ahead of blame and conflict.

“Our beautiful country is a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable place for all of us for most of the year, but we cannot escape winter's intensity and our own vulnerability.

“Let's show our care for each other this winter and let ubuntu see us through to spring.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

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The Standing Committee on Appropriations has urged Eskom to collaborate closely with the National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure that there is full municipal cooperation in the implementation of the Distribution Agency Agreement (DAA) programme.

The power utility briefed the committee today regarding the Eskom Debt Relief Bill. The committee expressed deep concern over Eskom's increasing debt levels and that the power utility continues its trajectory towards unsustainable indebtedness.

The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Mmusi Maimane said: “When we examine the various pieces of legislation under consideration by this committee, it is undeniable that Eskom remains a pivotal component. The state of Eskom's liquidity, along with serious concerns raised by municipalities around debt servicing are critical factors, especially in light of the appropriations made to Eskom.”

Mr Maimane said he feared that Eskom will be heavily indebted despite being in receipt of the Eskom Debt Relief Bill. The committee further said the lack of urgency in addressing underperforming and financially distressed municipalities, many of which are unable to service their debts to Eskom, is a major contributor to Eskom's debt burden.

The committee also highlighted that Eskom was not doing enough to curb the ‘ghost tokens' in the pre-paid electricity segment and the failure to address it has contributed to significant revenue losses.

Furthermore, the committee recommended that the power utility needs to ensure that it deals decisively with acts of sabotage carried out by its own employees. The committee cautioned that that the power utility needs to begin exploring ways to harness its own energy sources and not rely on independent power producers as this process can easily be influenced by political forces.

The committee called on Eskom to urgently implement decisive reforms to address inefficiencies, improve governance, enhance revenue collection, and safeguard its infrastructure.

The committee will tomorrow, 11 June receive a briefing from the City of Johannesburg and the City of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipalities on the 2025 Division of Revenue Bill.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.