MTHATHA FLOOD VICTIMS RECEIVE TEMPORARY SHELTER
MTHATHA: Flood victims in the area of Mthatha and surroundings are relieved after receiving temporary shelters.
According to a report by the SABC, the Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Seiso Mohai, has expressed satisfaction with the progress made in addressing the disastrous floods in Mthatha, Easttern Cape.
Mohai said his team conducted an oversight visit in the area to assess the extent of the damage to infrastructure and basic services. The team made a visit to one of the mass care centres, the Thornhill Water Treatment Works and Maydene Farm construction site.
In June, more than 100 people were left dead by the floods, while over 1000 were left displaced with reports suggesting that a nearby dam overflowed.
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“Obviously, we will never wish anybody to stay in a community hall because that facility is not meant for people to sleep in it in the first place and very basic issues that affect the human dignity gets compromised easily, but we believe that they will soon be out of that condition, be in dignified units as progress is being made,” said Mohai.
Resulting from the devastating floods, this left a huge damage to water infrastructure, leaving communities without water for over two weeks, however, that has since been resolved.
“We will be dealing with those matters of detail outside of the normal environment, also to engage even with entities or state entities like Eskom to look into areas where services were disconnected and services have got to be regularised the same way as we have visited the water plant,” he added.
“We have seen how that infrastructure impacted in the supply of other communities, so those are priority areas that we are going to be dealing with and ensure that of course, also in the long term, the people’s lives are adjusted.”
At the same time, the state broadcaster reports that construction is underway at Maydene Farm, where the displaced victims of the floods will be temporarily sheltered.
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According to the Eastern Cape’s Human Settlement MEC Siphokazi Mani-Lusithi, she stated that she is also satisfied with the progress made.
“We’re really encouraged by the progress and the speed in which the contractors are moving. We have given them a target that by Friday, we should have finished 100, we already have 25 in one day, so by Monday, we should be moving the first group of families into their homes,” said Mani-Lusithi.
Meanwhile, the department said its aim is to move all the displaced flood victims to the temporary structures by the end of September.
