MEYERTON. – Heavy rains have wreaked havoc at Sicelo informal settlement and some residents have been left devastated following damage to their properties.
Midvaal Local Municipality MMC for Development and Planning Mokete Motsamai carried out an oversite visit to affected areas recently and on arrival, assessed the damage caused by floods.
The oversite was joined in by MMC for Community Services Thandi Modiba and Sicelo ward committee member Kholelwane Guga.
Guga said the problem residents face in the area was that of a sewer always flowing in the streets. “The municipality does come to fix it however; it only takes a few days and then it’s back again. The heavy rain makes the situation worse because it results in flooding.”
At one of the shacks in Sicelo, 41-year-old Agnes Kanzi said it was difficult for her to go to treatment sometimes as she uses a wheelchair. “There’s a lot of sewer in our area. It makes it difficult for me to move around,” Kanzi said she would be happy if she is moved to another place where she would maneuver easily.
Motsamai says, “I was made aware of the situation and had to come and have a look. We have made provision for all affected people to be moved to ERF-188. The property that they will be moving to is ready and the municipality will be assisting with relocation. The plan is to make this a permanent solution and the municipality will be able to provide basic services. We have done the designs and layout and the infrastructure design.
“We will continue doing more assessments and assist those who urgently need to be relocated. We will also be assisting with material and the erection of shacks.”
Motsamai said the relocation would take up to two weeks. Motsamai added that there was another plan in the pipeline to move other residents to another property in the future.
Modiba said her department would take down the details of families needing any kind of assistance related to Social Services.
