President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Limpopo on Thursday to assess flood damage and the government’s response is presented as an act of solidarity and oversight. But the devastation is undeniable.
Severe flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga has claimed 19 lives, including those of very young children. Schools in Limpopo have delayed opening. Families have been displaced, livelihoods destroyed and communities traumatised.
In Mopani, residents have been rescued from treetops by helicopter, while a four-year-old boy is reported missing. Even the Kruger National Park has been forced to evacuate guests and staff.
Against this grim backdrop, the question is not whether the president should care, but whether high-profile visits by politicians meaningfully change outcomes for communities grappling with loss and uncertainty.
There is a familiar script to such visits. Leaders arrive with entourages, issue statements of concern, promise support and urge resilience. Photographs are taken, hands are shaken, and the public is assured that government is responding. For many affected communities, however, life often continues much the same once the convoys leave.
Recent history offers sobering examples. In KwaZulu-Natal, devastating floods in 2022 and 2023 prompted visits by senior politicians, including the president and cabinet ministers.
Communities in Durban, Umlazi and surrounding areas were promised swift rebuilding and substantial financial support. Yet years later, many families are still living in temporary accommodation, damaged infrastructure has not been fully restored and housing projects have stalled amid administrative delays and allegations of mismanagement.
The visits raised visibility, but tangible change has been slow.
The Eastern Cape tells a similar story. After deadly floods and storms displaced thousands in areas such as Mthatha, OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela Bay, political leaders toured affected areas, met grieving families and pledged decisive intervention. Despite this, the same communities continue to suffer repeated disasters.
Many of these tragedies are not purely the result of extreme weather. They are intensified by years of poor planning, weak local governance and neglected infrastructure.
Informal settlements remain in flood-prone zones, drainage systems are inadequate and disaster preparedness remains weak. The recurrence of tragedy suggests that little has shifted beyond the initial expressions of concern.
Supporters of such visits argue that they matter. A presidential presence can focus national attention, accelerate decision-making and signal urgency within government. For families who have lost loved ones or homes, being acknowledged by the country’s highest office can offer some comfort.
Yet symbolism too often substitutes substance. Communities in Thohoyandou, Vhembe, Mopani, Sekhukhune, Waterberg and Capricorn do not need empathy alone. They need functioning early warning systems, maintained roads and bridges, reliable drainage, safe housing and efficient emergency responses.
Many of these tragedies are not purely the result of extreme weather. They are intensified by years of poor planning, weak local governance and neglected infrastructure.
When schools delay opening because buildings or access roads are unsafe, or when residents wait for rescue from trees, the failure is as much institutional as environmental. Visits after the fact risk appearing reactive if they are not accompanied by accountability and sustained follow-through.
There is also the practical concern that large security details and media attention can strain already stretched local resources during emergencies. Time spent preparing for official visits can detract from rescue, relief and rebuilding efforts.
Leadership during disasters should be measured less by visibility and more by outcomes. If presidential and ministerial visits are to have real value, they must translate into concrete action, including rapid release of relief funds, clear rebuilding timelines, consequences for failure and long-term measures to reduce future risk.
Ultimately, leadership will not be judged by images from flood-ravaged areas, but by whether the next heavy rains claim fewer lives and cause less devastation.
For the people of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, mindful of unfulfilled promises in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, action, not presence, is what will matter most.
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