EFF Reacts to Gauteng Earthquake, Calls for Immediate Government and Municipality Assistance

• The Gauteng Economic Freedom Fighters chapter has finally reacted to the earthquake that rocked the province on Sunday
• The party is calling on the government and municipality of Ekurhuleni to assist those affected by the quake immediately
• The party argues that government should have measures set in place to act should natural disasters arise

EKURHULENI - The EFF has finally reacted to the 4.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked Gauteng in the early hours of Sunday morning.

TimesLIVE reported that the EFF Gauteng branch called on the government, the City of Ekurhuleni and EFF public representatives and leadership to avail themselves in assisting, especially the poor, who were affected by the tremor.

An emergency services spokesperson says no casualties or injuries were reported. The EFF, however, expressed the social and economic effects:

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“While there is no reported casualty, the damage caused is devastating, especially for already socially and economically struggling and destitute people of Gauteng.”

The EFF says government should always be on standby to deal with such natural disasters:

“While the EFF acknowledges such natural disasters cannot be controlled and at times even predicted, government must always have standing institutions to quickly intervene to mitigate damage and avoid loss of life.

“They also serve to stress the need for the Gauteng government to take seriously the urgency to capacitate the emergency medical services such that disaster-like incidents do not lead to casualties, as has been the case before."

What is the cause of the earthquake that hit Gauteng on Sunday morning?

BusinessLIVE says the Council for Geoscience (CGS) was investigating the nature of the seismic activity that shook Gauteng at around 2:38am, whether it was mining activity or fluctuations in groundwater. CGS spokesperson Mahlatse Mononela said:

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"The earthquake's epicentre was located in the Boksburg area a few kilometres outside East Rand Proprietary Mine, in the East Rand of Johannesburg.

“But given its shallow depth, it might be mining-related seismicity or due to fluctuations in groundwater levels. This said, the CGS is investigating this further.”

Watch the recording of the actual earthquake and read the Facebook reactions

@Denzel Blessings shared his experience:

"I was awake when it happened, I thought the house was going down. The noise lasted like 25 to 30 seconds and after that, it seems like it continued to other surroundings of Germiston."

@Elaine Schoeman shares more information:

"It wasn't just Boksburg. I see on Facebook it was everywhere in Gauteng. Boksburg, Edenvale, Fourways, Springs, Lenasia, Jhb Cbd, Roodepoort, Krugersdorp, Alberton, Centurion and more."

@Kulani Ndhlovu joked about it:

"Anyone affected by this earthquake/tremor called 'Brother Bernard', claim your Tremor Damage Fund (TDF)."

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@Barbara Hartley says she was scared:

"We felt it in Kyalami. About 2:45am. Scary stuff. Noisy and windows shook."

South Africans joke about how they have "survived cholera, covid and earthquake"

Briefly News reported how South Africans, not known to shy away from an opportunity to joke around, shared their sentiments about the tremor.

One Twitter user joked and asked if someone could check if Thabo Bester was still in prison after the powerful quake.

Source: Briefly News