- President Cyril Ramaphosa told bereaved families during his visit he was saddened by the incident.
- He told the families their needs were being addressed and would be finalised by Sunday. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu promised the families Sassa assistance.
- The bodies of the boys, aged 11 to 13, were retrieved from the hole by emergency services.
President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Nyanga, Cape Town, on Thursday to visit the families of four boys who died after they fell into a hole along Borcherds Quarry Road near the N2 freeway in Cape Town last week.
Ramaphosa's visit followed that of Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu last week.
The president said he was saddened by the tragedy. He said State Security Deputy Minister Zizi Kodwa had advised him during discussions to visit the families.
"I am happy that ministers Zulu and Sisulu did arrive to see you along with deputy minister Kodwa. I am sorry that I couldn't come earlier but we had a lot of work to do. So after we were done with Parliament's work, we got a chance to come see you today. I was deeply hurt after hearing about the deaths and asked myself who would have killed these young boys with such bright futures ahead of them... this was an unusual occurrence," Ramaphosa said.
President @CyrilRamaphosa speaks to the families of the four boys who died when they got trapped in a sinkhole close to the N2 freeway. pic.twitter.com/IRdqbOtb0i
— Presidency | South Africa ???? (@PresidencyZA) February 18, 2021
READ | Heartache, disbelief grip parents of boys who died in Nyanga sinkhole
He urged the families to adhere to Covid-19 protocols during burials, adding that their immediate needs ahead of the burials were being addressed.
The bodies of the boys – Azola Quweni, Axolile Mabangula, Ivakele Kalikopu and Nqabayethu Mlaza – were retrieved by emergency services from the hole. They were aged 11 to 13.
During her visit, Zulu pledged support from Sassa for the families, most of whom are unemployed. She said the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government should take responsibility for the tragic incident.
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