Stay away from swollen rivers, urges councillor Marema

As rains continue to pound Alexandra and other areas of the Johannesburg jurisdiction, Ward 116 councillor Adolph Marema has warned residents of the township to stay away from swollen rivers.

Marema was speaking in an interview with Alex News in the aftermath of Alex members of a congregation who had been swept away while performing baptism rituals in the Jukskei River in Bramley in December last year, and the recent storms that uprooted trees in the township that fell on a residential house.

“We call upon our people never to venture near swollen rivers or attempt to cross them. We also urge our children never to play in or attempt to bathe and cross flooded rivers as the currents may be too strong with the potential of washing them away.
“We want them to know that swollen rivers are not child’s play and should always avoid them and stay away from them,” said Marema, who is also the chief whip of the Alexandra-based councillors in the City of Johannesburg.

Marema said he had noticed some people were not heeding the calls to stay away from flooded rivers as people continued to baptise church congregates in the Jukskei. “I now don’t know what needs to be done to get them to appreciate the messages of staying away from flooded rivers.”
Marema said in his ward 20 trees were each more than 70 years old and four of them fell during the recent storms. “I have approached the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo department with a view to cutting them down and replacing them with fruit trees that can also provide residents not just with shelter and a breath of fresh air but will also fortify their much-needed food security as well.”

He said police efforts to trace the pastor of the disastrous baptism event last year had hit a snag as he was believed to be on the run.

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