Montagu a disaster zone

2003-03-26 21:40

Cape Town - Western Cape premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk has called on President Thabo Mbeki to declare the magisterial districts of Swellendam, Montagu and Robertson disaster zones in view of the serious destruction and suffering caused by the heavy flooding on Monday.

Van Schalkwyk said in a statement late on Wednesday that the provincial cabinet had discussed the issue after he and two provincial MECs had surveyed the area by helicopter earlier in the day.

He said he had asked Mbeki to declare the three areas as disaster zones in terms of the relevant national legislation.

He said he also indicated to Mbeki that the Western Cape government would appreciate it if the national ministers for provincial and local government and social development could personally visit the affected areas and report back to the president.

Van Schalkwyk said he had further called on national minister of provincial and local government, Sydney Mufamadi, to declare a state of disaster in these three magisterial districts in terms of the Civil Protection Act.

"Should these applications be granted, they will provide short-term assistance in the form of additional authority for the municipal managers to requisition critical foodstuffs, material and manpower to assist with the immediate response.

Assess damage

"In the longer term such declarations will also provide access to national and provincial funds for the rebuilding and restoration of the damaged infrastructure," Van Schalkwyk said.

The Western Cape government has appointed an ad hoc cabinet committee consisting of Van Schalkwyk, finance MEC Ebrahim Rasool, agriculture and tourism MEC Johan Gelderblom, transport MEC Tasneem Essop and local government MEC Cobus Dowry to further assess and quantify the damage - particularly to infrastructure, agriculture, local government capacity, and tourism.

Van Schalkwyk said buildings, essential services, and roads and bridges had been damaged, and that humanitarian aid in the form of emergency feeding and shelter was being provided to about 1 000 people.

Emergency workers on Wednesday began clearing a thick layer of mud deposited by the flooding at Montagu and neighbouring towns.

Vast tracts of farmland around the Little Karoo town were also covered in a thick layer of silt.

Roads reopened

A Sapa reporter in the town could see water cascading down mountainsides while municipal workmen were repairing roads and bridges.

In Montagu, the aftermath of the floods were still visible with streets and tennis courts covered in mud.

Children, oblivious to the damage, frolicked on a water-covered cricket pitch at the King Edward sports field.

As mopping up operations continued on Wednesday, some roads in the region were opened to traffic.

The bridge at Ashton was opened to light and heavy traffic about 18:45, allowing vehicles to move along the R60 between Worcester and Swellendam, said Boland municipality disaster management spokesperson Roy Veldman.

Although the tarmac on the bridge had been washed away, there was still a layer of compacted gravel on the bridge, he said.

The R62 through the Kogmaskloof Pass between Ashton and Montagu remained closed, however.

- SAPA