How floods hurt Joburg: Cars swept away and homes submerged

Many Johannesburg residents woke up to severe flooding as heavy rain hit Gauteng on Thursday evening and Friday morning.

An eyewitness and a survivor detailed how his car and a taxi were swept away by water on the bridge between Kliptown informal settlement and Dlamini 1, in Soweto.

The survivor, George Miller, said he was driving with his daughter and her friends from their matric dance when they were suddenly swept by a heavy water current.

“I decided to sleep in the car and wait for them because the rain was too terrible for me to drive home and come back to fetch them. When we were driving towards the bridge, I started losing control of the car,” said Miller.

“The car was being swept away by the water. The car was eventually stopped by one of the bridge pillars. I took everyone out of the car and put them on the top of the pillar for safety. We tried to call the emergency services but they never arrived until we were rescued by a local breakdown,” he said.

Miller said while his car was being swept away, he noticed that a taxi that was driving in front of his car was also being swept away by water.

“I know one person was rescued by a helicopter from the taxi but I don’t know if there were others in that taxi,” he said.

Johannesburg Emergency Services has stated the vehicle did not have passengers.

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Taxi swept away

A resident in the area, Linda Maqwazima, said he was on his way to the shops around 6.30am when noticed a taxi full of passengers being swept by the water.

“I also saw a VW Polo which was also swept away by the water. A rescue team came and managed to rescue one man, I don’t know if he was from the Polo or the taxi. I also saw people who I believe were in the Polo trying to save their things, “said Maqwazima.

Maqwazima said whiles they were standing and watching the scene unfold, they saw somebody being washed away by the water.

“I don’t know if he was from the Polo or the taxi. We just saw the hand passing by, people were screaming ‘there is someone’ but the rescue team did not manage to rescue them. It was terrible, I’ve seen some scenes but this one was terrible,” he said.

He said residents in the area fear this situation may get worse.

“The situation might get worse, especially for those who are staying in the shacks.”

Soweto and Lenasia most affected

Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said the areas which were mostly affected by the floods were Soweto and Lenasia.

“Our teams have reported water coming into people’s house. Some of the people had to be taken out especially in Naledi and Kliptown. We have also experienced boundary walls falling,” said Khumalo.

“In Kliptown, there was a house that completely submerged. Our teams could not walk to the house, they had to use the small boat they use in a river.”

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Khumalo said a number of bridges have been reported to have either overflowed or collapsed.

She said they have also received over hundred emergency calls however they were not in a position to say how many people have been displaced yet.

Meanwhile, residents who stay near Florida Lake also experienced flooding.

A car was stuck in between trees near the lake.

Nkokheli Juwele, who stays near the lake, said the car was driving towards Roodepoort when it was swept away by water.

“This thing happened around 7pm last night (Thursday). The car speeding down the road, I don’t think he saw there was a water puddle ahead because it was dark,” said Juwele.

“The driver was driving alone and he was very lucky to be rescued on time.”

The bridge between Protea South and Lenasia was also closed due to flooding.

Some shacks in the nearby informal settlements were also submerged in water.

A distressed resident of Nana’s Farm, Boitumelo Dube, said her house was completely covered by water.

“I have nothing; my three-year-old is with neighbours. My husband was also at work when this happened,” said Dube.

“Everything was swept by the water, we only have blankets. Food and documents were all swept away.”