Mop-up underway in Tshwane after weekend floods

Emergency workers and clean-up organisations are still clearing up after floods over the weekend in Tshwane.

This was one of the worst-hit areas with people, vehicles and a dog washed away.

City of Tshwane’s Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the number of fatalities on record related to the flooding was four.

“On Tuesday, two more bodies were recovered, one in Centurion, believed to be the driver of the Audi SUV washed away and trapped near the Centurion lake Hotel.

“The body was of the man who was swept over the wall at Roodeplaat Dam was also located,” Mabaso said.

He said a body recovered at the weekend was believed to have been the driver of a Ford Ranger which washed away in Centurion. Another body was recovered in Mamelodi informal settlement.

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“In terms of the vehicles … washed away, it is the worst we have seen so far and almost a repeat of what we experienced in 2019 in terms of affected households,” he said.

Tarryn Johnston, founder of Hennops Revival, said she has never seen so much destruction.

“Roads and cars washed away and people drowned. It was a nightmare,” she said.

“We are already cleaning and it’s chaos. It’s crazy the amount of water that came down and the damage is even worse. Walls were falling over, fences, trees, too. Houses were flooded.”

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Johnston said the water level rose exceptionally high and people in Hennopspark were wading in water up to their waists.

“People in the golf estate … had ground floors covered in water. There were also informal settlements flooded in Centurion.”

Over the weekend, 100mm of rain was recorded at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, 98mm in Hatfield and 181mm in Mountainview.