Continuous rain has led to cars and people being swept away and has damaged dozens of homes and roads in KZN and Mpumalanga.

Caxton Local Media on Saturday reported that heavy rain in parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KZN resulted in evacuations in the wake of rising water levels. At the time, at least four people were swept away by floods while two drowned in Mpumalanga.

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Meanwhile, the situation in KZN – which was heavily impacted by floods last year – continues to raise concern among residents. The Witness reports that more than 70 families whose homes were flooded had to be evacuated by local disaster teams.

Operations to mop up flood damage

MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) in KZN Bongi Sithole Moloi will lead mop-up operations in Newcastle following the weekend’s damaging flash floods.

Cogta says its disaster management teams are continuing with search and rescue efforts.

The mayor of the Amajuba District Municipality, uMntwana Ndabuko Zulu, says he is working with the leadership of affected municipalities and has dispatched disaster management teams to urgently provide relief to the families affected by the ongoing rains.

KZN Cogta spokesperson Senzo Mzila says that rapid assessments are being done to determine the magnitude and extent of damages and mobilise the required resources. “The provincial disaster management centre continues to monitor the situation as more rain is predicted in various parts of the province.”

Missing people

Cogta urges parents to ensure that scholars use safe routes to school after a Gr 11 learner was swept away in Ingwavuma, Ward 13, in northern KZN on the weekend.

The department says another person is still missing in Mtubatuba Ward 9 (Nkatha Road) after a vehicle and its two occupants were swept away. One of them was able to escape.

No end in sight

Public transport has been disrupted and a major taxi rank in Newcastle was temporarily closed.

“The weather forecast gives an indication that these rains might continue until late next week. We have already seen many rivers and streams overflowing, and this causes a threat to residents who reside close to these rivers and streams.

“We call on all residents to be vigilant and call for help if they are in danger. At no stage should our people attempt to cross overflowing rivers, either by foot or by driving,” warns the mayor.

He adds that residents from wards 3 and 25 were relocated to Fairleigh Hall.

“The leadership calls on all the local businesses to lend a helping hand by providing relief such as blankets and meals to these relocated residents. Depending on the assessment results by our teams who are on the ground, more facilities, such as community halls, will be identified to accommodate those in need.”

Low-level roads in the Mkhanyakude District were flooded, and a few households in the Ndumo and Mkuze areas of the Jozini Local Municipality were also affected. In the Umzinyathi district, six houses were destroyed and two were extensively damaged.

No fatalities or injuries have yet been confirmed.

Heavy rain in Mbombela and surrounds

Mbombela resident Alicia Whitting was in the Lowveld National Botanical Garden yesterday to capture the water ravaging its way through the area.

On Sunday, the southern part of the Kruger National Park was closed after widespread flooding. People had to be evacuated from some camps and there has been significant infrastructure damage. This morning, much of Kruger south had been reopened, but the situation remains tenuous.

Warnings across the country

In its travellers forecast for today, the South African Weather Service issued varied levels of warnings across South Africa:

• An orange level 9 warning for disruptive rain leading to widespread flooding of roads and settlements, danger to life due to fast-flowing water, communities not accessible or cut off, and mudslides and rock falls over the Mopani and Vhembe districts of Limpopo and the Ehlanzeni District of Mpumalanga.
• An orange level 5 warning for disruptive rain leading to flooding of settlements, roads and bridges over the eastern highveld of Mpumalanga and the central and northern parts of Limpopo.
• A yellow level 2 warning for disruptive rain leading to localised flooding of susceptible settlements and roads and difficult driving conditions over the central and western highveld of Mpumalanga and the western bushveld of Limpopo.