South Africa's Acting President Mashatile Highlights Climate Change's Threat To Heritage

Acting President Paul Mashatile highlighted the importance of recognizing how climate change is affecting the country's well-being and cultural heritage as South Africa celebrated Heritage Day on Tuesday.

In his keynote speech in Ficksburg, Free State, Mashatile urged people to be aware of how climate change threatens their livelihoods and cultural traditions.

While he felt honored to address the nation on Heritage Day, the Acting President noted that the celebrations were impacted by severe weather in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Free State.

"It is a great honor and privilege to address you at this significant occasion as we celebrate our country's Heritage Day. Unfortunately, as we were looking forward to this day, some parts of our country, which include Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Free State, were impacted by severe weather conditions, exacerbated by climate change," he said, SA News reported.

He added, "In celebrating our heritage, we must be alive to the impact of climate change on not only our wellbeing but also on our culture. Extreme weather conditions such as those witnessed over the past few days affect some of our cultural and heritage sites, therefore undermining our national goals to protect and preserve our culture for generations to come."

Mashatile expressed sympathy for those affected by the recent extreme weather events in South Africa. He acknowledged the impact of the widespread extreme weather and praised the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, along with government departments, for their quick and effective response.

He also commended the provinces that were affected for promptly activating their disaster response teams. The Acting President stated that response teams led by NATJOINTS are ready to assist with any emergencies and are continuing to support the communities in need.

The Acting President emphasized that while these teams are dedicated to helping those in trouble, it is important for people to be cautious and pay attention to any warnings issued by the South African Weather Service.

Mashatile noted that the current weather conditions highlight the need to invest more in technology to improve weather predictions. He further said that providing early warnings for storms, heat waves and disasters can save lives and expressed condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.

One day ahead of Heritage Day celebrations, the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) urged citizens to behave responsibly during the public holiday.