Picture - Twitter @MphoManyaapelo
There has been yet another dam wall collapse, this time at the Paardekraal dam in Rustenburg.
The Rustenburg Municipality in the North West province issued the alert early on Wednesday morning.
“This communique serves to urgently notify residents in general, pedestrians and motorists alike, that, the dam wall has collapsed due to current continuous heavy rains.”
It said the directly affected communities include
Rustenburg Municipality Thapelo Matebesi told Citizen they were alerted of the incident on Tuesday morning.
“The Disaster Emergency team of the Rustenburg Local Municipality were dispatched to the scene to investigate. Upon arrival they found the Paardekraal Dam wall had collapsed.”
“Subsequently there was an overflow strong current of water that was overflowing into the Heks River which runs through neighbouring communities of Paardekraal township,” Matebesi said.
Matebesi said the bridges have been barricades to avoid to any incidents.
“The latest is that we do not have any lives lost, we did not have any damages to property or goods, not any injuries or fatalities.”
Matebesi has urged residents to take precautions.
“Residents are urged not to cross bridges as water is flowing above them, because it is dangerous to do so. The Rustenburg Local Municipality’s Disaster Management Team has been dispatched to the scene. Situation report will be compiled upon arrival of the team.”
“Meanwhile, the levels of other bridges, namely: Manuka bridge, Ben Marais bridge, and many other low bridges, need constant monitoring,” he said.
Matebesi said residents will notified with updates as they unfold on social media platforms, radio stations and Customer Care Centre.
“The municipality disaster and management teama will remain at the site of the Paardekraal Dam to monitor the situation,” he said.
The dam wall collapse comes after Residents of Charlesville in the small town of Jagersfontein, Free State, were woken to mudslides caused by mine tailings after a dam burst on 11 September.
The hazardous mudslide left 300 displaced, loss of lives and livestock and damage to infrastructure and properties.
ALSO READ: Jagersfontein disaster: Town beyond repair as govt interventions come too late
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