‘Flood victims have themselves to blame’ – Mpumalanga premier

Government cited violation of spatial laws and poor infrastructure as contributing factors exacerbating the impact of the devastating floods which recently ravaged parts of the province.

According to Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, many communities exposed themselves to floods by settling in low-lying areas and too close to rivers and dams; risking their lives and assets.

Flood victims to blame

“Some of our residents have settled in flood lines, thereby violating spatial laws that regulate land management,” she said.

“This ultimately leads to waterlogged houses, displacement of families and fatalities. We must intensify the enforcement of municipal by-laws to prevent similar tragedies in the future”.

Assessing damage

On Saturday Mtshweni-Tsipane visited affected areas in the City of Mbombela and Nkomazi local municipality, including Thekwane South, the Mlumati river bridge between Driekoppies and Schoemansdal, Shongwe Boarding school, as well as the temporary accommodation shelter at Masibekela.

She was accompanied by MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, Busi Shiba, Ehlanzeni District executive mayor Jester Sidel, executive mayors of the two local municipalities, Director General Makhukhu Mampuru as well as senior managers in the provincial government.

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Her office said the assessments sought to implement short and long-term interventions in response to the disaster.

Since it started at the beginning of February, the persistent rains caused massive damage to roads, bridges, health and school facilities, houses, water plants and farms.

Relief efforts

The Mpumalanga provincial government, in collaboration with the municipalities’ humanitarian Nongovernmental Organisations – such as Gift of the Givers and Red Cross – are currently on the ground to assist with relief efforts.

The premier said the lack of stormwater drainages led to the overflowing of water above bridges. The biggest task yet was to restore the infrastructure, which includes raising the levels of bridges higher.

“In almost all the bridges that we have assessed, it is clear that they are low, and therefore as soon as the water levels rise, water flows through all directions,” she said in a statement.

“As we restore the infrastructure, we will ensure that the levels of the bridges are raised higher [and] build the drainage system.”

ALSO READ: Floods: Body of 16-year-old Mpumalanga teen found in dam

More rain expected

Mtshweni-Tsipane said the persistent rain interrupted learning in schools in Nkomazi municipality; saying with more rain predicted this week, communities should be on high alert.

Government has, in terms of the Disaster Management Act of 2002, declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive, coordinated response to the impact of floods that are affecting Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North West.

The National Disaster Management Centre has, in terms of Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act, classified the impact of current, above-normal rainfall in various parts of the country – with Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape as the most affected – as a national disaster.

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