The Frances Baard and John Taolo Gaetsewe districts were the worst affected areas when severe rain storms caused major flooding across the Northern Cape Province.
THE FRANCES Baard and John Taolo Gaetsewe districts were the worst affected areas when severe rain storms caused major flooding across the Northern Cape Province.
The Provincial Disaster Management Centre indicated that their teams in all affected municipalities have been on the ground since the beginning of the flooding to conduct impact assessments in order to determine the extent of the damage across the Province.
Ga-segonyana and the Joe Morolong local municipalities in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District were the worst hit with nearly 370 houses and several streets flooded.
Spokesperson for the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Lerato Khunou, said that three sink holes were discovered in Batlharos and another two in Wrenchville.
Floatable suction pumps and portable pumps were used to drain water from houses and streets.
Khunou said efforts to assist affected families through social relief will be advised.
In the Joe Morolong Local Municipality 150 houses were affected in 36 villages while roads were also flooded.
Pumps and water trucks were used as part of an intervention plan.
“The municipality is in the process of applying for emergency housing for the affected families,” Khunou said.
In France Baard the Phokwane Municipality suffered infrastructure damage where electrical power lines were brought down and several roofs blown off.
“Eskom managed to restore the electricity supply and the Frances Baard District Municipality provided temporary shelter to the affected families.”
In the Sol Plaatje Municipality twenty families in Ritchie had to be accommodated.
Khunou warned of more rain throughout the country, as predicted by the SA Weather Service.
“The Weather Service has issued a yellow warning for rain in the North West, Free State and Northern Cape until Friday (today) as a result of tropical storm Eloise.”
The communities in the already affected areas are urged to take extra precaution and seek refuge in safer places.
The department assured residents that Disaster Management teams are requested to be on stand by at all times.
