Taung damage 'mind-boggling'

2006-04-09 16:52

Johannesburg - About R500m may be required to rebuild the flood-ravaged Taung area in North West, according to a recommendation made by the provincial legislature.

"We also intend to motivate for the entire Bophirima region to be declared a national disaster zone," said Mahlakeng Mahlakeng, the leader of a North West provincial legislature delegation of MPLs who had visited the area.

Sixteen of the most stricken villages were surveyed as the delegation travelled over 350km by gravel road over two days in 4 x 4 vehicles.

Mahlakeng on Sunday described the situation they had encountered as "desperate and dismal" and the destruction "enormous".

"We are coming here two weeks after the worst of the floods have passed and the extent of the devastation is still mind-boggling."

In many places, vehicles still had to battle fiercely running water while in others long detours had to be taken to avoid pools of standing water.

Mahlakeng commended the Greater Taung municipality for the role it had played after the disaster.

During the visit residents raised complaints with the delegation.

"The water is finished in the tanks provided by Sedibeng Water and no one has come to refill them so the people are still drinking contaminated water," said Mahlakeng.

In Ntswanahatse the delegation was told of children who had diarrhoea while in Sedibeng, Khaukwe and Vaaltyn the people were living in tents that were either too small or of shocking quality, he said.

"Their isolation is so complete that although the water level has gone down, the state of the roads is so bad even a donkey cart cannot move.

"We intend to motivate for the entire Bophirima region to be declared a national disaster zone as the funds required to rebuild this area will stretch the provincial coffers in a manner we believe it will not be able to cope," he said.

"We will ensure, along with our colleagues in government, that the situation is remedied as a matter of urgency," Mahlakeng said.

- SAPA