Heavy rain wreaks havoc in the Lowveld
The people who lost their houses are residing in a community hall and a church building in the area.
Cyclone Eloise caused destruction in Mpumalanga, concentrated in the Ehlanzeni area. According to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), it is currently busy with evacuation, relief and rescue measures.
Sixty houses in Bushbuckridge, five in Mbombela, 10 in Nkomazi and three in Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) were affected by the continuous heavy rainfall this past weekend. Some people were injured. Some were left homeless. Houses were flooded, walls demolished, bridges flooded, roads were destroyed and trees uprooted.
Sam Ngubane, acting HOD of Cogta, said the people in Bushbuckridge were provided with temporary shelter. “The areas affected the most were Mkhuhlu and Calcutta. Some of the houses are not completely damaged; some have structural problems.”
The people who lost their houses are residing in a community hall and a church building in the area. According to Cogta, the Department of Human Settlements will take on the duties of providing new houses. “There were two houses that were completely destroyed in TCLM and one was flooded. In that area they also had trees and rocks that blocked the road, however, they have been cleared,” Ngubane explained.
Some houses in Mataffin and Tekwane South were reportedly flooded. George Mthethwa, Cogta spokesperson, said some of the houses affected in the province was a result of people residing in areas not meant for human habitation.
“Some of the people were warned when they chose to build houses in those areas. However, they chose not to adhere. Some yards were filled with water due to poor drainage systems,” he said.
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Cogta has handed out food parcels, mattresses and assisted some motorists that got stuck on muddy roads. The DA Mpumalanga released a statement calling on the MEC of Cogta, Mandla Msibi, to ascertain the extent of the damages.
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Mthethwa added that by the time the statement was released, Cogta had already started rolling out disaster relief supplies.
