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PICS: Tshwane floods, some residents refuse to evacuate
Five informal settlements still need to be evacuated. South African Weather Service reports 100-160mm of rain was reported in parts of Tshwane.
Tshwane floods, informal settlements under water, residents evacuated. Food and mattresses delivered to relief centres. Picture – City of Tshwane.
The Tshwane Emergency Services Department had their hands full as relief efforts for flood victims got underway.
Emergency response officials received distress calls about flooding in Eestefabrieke Banana Bridge in Mamelodi.
About 800 people were affected.
A Gauteng EMS 23-seater bus and 16 Tshwane bus services were dispatched to evacuate people to temporary accommodations.
Two Saps choppers conducted an aerial assessment of the area and identified about 60 people on rooftops of their dwellings.
But when rescue teams tried to evacuate them, residents apparently hauled insults at the teams and pelted them with objects.
Community leaders, ward councillors are engaging with community members to persuade them to evacuate.
The following temporary accommodations were made available for the affected:
- Stanza Bopape Community Hall
- Ikageng Communinyt Hall
- Nelmapius Community Hall
- Mamelodi West Community Hall
- Rethabile Community Hall
Some informal settlements were still in need of evacuation at the time of writing. These include:
- Eestefabrieke
- Willow farm
- Mavuso
- Soul City
- Marikana
Of the above, Eesterfabrieke residents had still not agreed to evacuation at the time of releasing the statement.
Four Tshwane busses were dispatched to evacuate community members from the other four settlements. The number of people evacuated from this settlement to temporary shelters has not yet been consolidated.
Incidents of flooding were also reported in Ramotse, Hamananskraal and in Makapaan Road, Bosplaas.
In Ramotse, only yards were flooded, and utility services had to dig trenches to channel water away while in Bosplaas, a truck overturned in a flooded water bridge.
According to the South African Weather Services (SAWS), 100-160mm of rain was reported in parts of Tshwane.
The City’s Emergency Service Department remains on high alert as further incidents of flooding may be reported because of water coming in from other parts of the Gauteng Province rivers, channels, and streams passing through Tshwane.
“We call on residents to also remain on high alert, never try to cross flooded low bridges, move themselves and valuables to higher ground and immediately call for help by dialling our toll-free emergency number, 107. An assessment of the extent of the damages in all areas is underway,” said Tshwane EMS spokesperson Charles Mabaso.
There have been no injuries or fatalities reported in that area but only runoff water from flesh foods which later subsided.
But multiple trees were reported to have fallen on the streets in Colbyn and Wonderboom South. One tree fell and damaged a wall on Colbyn Mews on Gordon and Weavind Street.
Roads and low water bridges in the Centurion area were flooded leading to the closure of the affected routes after some vehicles were trapped in the low water bridges.
Relief efforts are underway to deliver essential supplies such as food, blankets and mattresses to temporary shelters.
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