Looking forward after floods
90 per cent of the settlement was affected by the floods. “Houses were swept away, collapsed or were flooded. A lot of the people’s other belongings were also damaged.”
The devastation caused in Siyahlala-la Informal Settlement by heavy rainfall on 28 December 2013, motivated representatives from the fire service, Amajuba District Municipality’s Disaster Management and Department of Social Development to work on a strategy last Wednesday to minimise flood damage to houses in the settlement.
Nelson Mpeko, acting fire chief, said 90 per cent of the settlement was affected by the floods.
“Houses were swept away, collapsed or were flooded. A lot of the people’s other belongings were also damaged.”
Mr Mpeko explained when he had visited the area with other emergency personnel, the water was knee-high and in some areas up to the waist.
During the meeting, SWOT analyses were done, and while the efforts of various aid relief were commended, it was felt that certain protocols had not been adhered.
Mr Mpeko said in his line of work, the lives of people are at the top of his priority list. While he agreed that protocol was important, he explained that there was no time to tell people they first had to wait for an assessment.
Relief given to the residents of Siyahlala-la ranged from temporary tents for shelters, blankets and soup kitchens provided meals.
Looking forward, the area of Siyahlala-la is considered a flood zone as heavy rains will continue to hamper residents.
Mr Mpeko brought up the possibility of relocating residents to a safer area.
“The majority of the homesteads in the settlement are made out of zinc and mud, which add to the high risk factor. These people need to know about the dangers faced on a daily basis.”
