The catastrophe underscored an overlooked reality in the fight against extreme weather: Protecting people is as much about tackling social issues as environmental ones.
President Cyril Ramaphosa traveled to the east coast, which was pounded by days of rain that washed away bridges and swept homes from their foundations.
Torrential rain left a trail of destruction in the coastal city of Durban — the latest disaster in a season of storms that some scientists say has been intensified by climate change.