Joburg officials visit flood areas

2011-01-19 13:31

Johannesburg - Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo and Gauteng housing MEC Humphrey Memezi were visiting flood-affected areas on Wednesday, emergency services said.

Areas flooded due to heavy rainfall were: Protea South, Kliptown, Klipspruit West, Lenasia, Orlando West, Meadowlands, Freedom Charter Square, Nancefield, and certain areas of Alexandra, Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Percy Morokane said in a statement.

Areas around Ivory Park were also flooded as well as Themba Khoza informal settlement, Baghdad informal settlement, Kaalfontein and Ebony Park.

Earlier this week, weather forecasters issued warnings about possible flash flooding around Johannesburg.

Forty-three families had been evacuated from Ivory Park, north of Johannesburg since Monday as floods swept through the area. The families returned to there homes on Tuesday afternoon.

Morokane said 18 of the households reported structural damages, 41 had their furniture damaged, 48 had their clothes and blankets soaked in water and mud and 20 had their food destroyed by the heavy rains.

Eighty-seven people, who were trapped by the floods, had to be rescued in Soweto.

The Disaster Management Directorate visited individual households affected to assess the extent of the damages and losses suffered because of the floods, Morokane said.

After the initial assessment, relevant stakeholders were mobilised to assist with humanitarian relief for the victims.

He said several non-governmental organisations (NGO's) had donated relief materials in the form of blankets, food parcels and clothing.

A short-term rehabilitation programme had been developed for the affected areas which included urgent repairing of roads, storm-water drainage systems, waste management and debris removal, restoration, repair and replacement of electrical infrastructures, environmental rehabilitation and restoration of water supply and sewer systems.

Medium to long-term interventions included continuous rehabilitation, counselling and maintenance as well as risk assessment, Morokane said.

- SAPA