President Jacob Zuma will no longer address the 69th World News Media Congress in Durban, it was announced Wednesday.
Zuma was due to address the opening ceremony of the congress, which kicked off on June 7 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, but will no longer be able to do so because of the monster storm ravaging Cape Town.
The Presidency, in a statement, said Zuma would no longer address the congress due to extreme weather conditions, which made it impossible to fly out to Cape Town.
"Due to the extreme weather conditions in Cape Town, President Jacob Zuma will be unable to address the Opening Ceremony of the 69th World News Media Congress in Durban this evening," the statement said.
#CapeTownStorm UPDATE: At least five dead
Cape Town has been battling a massive storm, which hit the Mother City at around 11pm on Tuesday night.
The storm saw hundreds displaced, at least eight people dead as well as schools and some universities closed as a result.
Additionally, Metrorail train services in some areas have been delayed by over 60 minutes while electricity disruptions were reported in several areas.
The World News Media Congress, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), is a forum which brings together more than 1000 newspaper publishers and chief editors from over 80 countries to discuss issues and challenges facing the media sector.