The death toll from torrential rain in South Africa has risen to 70, with another 8,000 people displaced, an official said Saturday, as the government stepped up its emergency efforts. "The number of fatalities currently recorded nationally have sadly increased to 70... The number of displaced and affected households reported at 8400," co-operative governance spokesman Vuyelwa Qinga said in a statement.
She added that, after consultations with various experts, the government had decided to establish national disaster joint operations to "improve co-ordination of government interventions and streamline communication in relation to the disasters." In Mozambique 10 people have died as a result of floods, with more than 10,000 others evacuated from their homes.