The disaster management of municipality NW 405 and the councillor of ward 27 were conspicuous by their absence during flooding in Ext. 11 on Tuesday.

A group of women and children living near Dan Tloome Primary School had to manage by themselves when their houses were flooded in the heavy downpours. According to Peter Mosounyana, the woman-headed households were helpless as the rooms in their homes flooded. Their belongings were floating on the water and their furniture was destroyed. He says they tried to contact the ward councillor but he could not be reached. ‘The municipal disaster management department is dragging their feet in resolving this crisis,’ he said.
The council spokesperson, Willie Maphosa, says the municipality’s disaster call centre received more than 22 distress calls related to flooding on Tuesday night. He says the general difficulty with the areas in and around Ext.11 is landscaping. ‘The area has many inclines and water entrapment happens far more easily. Added to this is the habitation or the settlement of some homes on the floodline,’ he said. Maphosa says the municipality will continue to address the situation through medium- to long-term interventions.