Tshwane floods: Three drowned after heavy rains
Search for Uber driver and two passengers believed to have been washed away by the Olifantspruit in Midstream underway in the Irene area, Centurion.
At least three people drowned and hundreds of homes were destroyed during floods that wreaked havoc in most parts of Pretoria following heavy rains on Friday and Saturday.
On Thursday, the South Africa Weather Service (SAWS) issued a level four warning of heavy rains that would result in the flooding of roads and informal settlements. Heavy rain weather conditions were expected from Friday 04:00 until Saturday 02:00.
The South African Police diving unit, Tshwane emergency service department (TEMS), Gauteng emergency services and private emergency services had their hands full helping people in need since Friday afternoon.
Motorists drove through flooded roads across Pretoria. While several people, who found themselves trapped in the water-filled roads, were rescued by the emergency services.
Unfortunately, not everyone survived.
Centurion:
A Centurion man who went missing between Friday night and the early hours of Saturday, while on his way home, drowned.
The man’s body was retrieved by the diving unit after his car dipped in the Hennops river near the low-lying End and Witsinkhout roads in Centurion.
On Tuesday, a body of a Audi SUV driver that got stuck near Centurion lake hotel was recovered.
A search for three people, believed to be a driver of an Uber taxi and two passengers continued this week.
Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said it was indicated that the three were possibly washed away by the Olifantspruit in Midstream is underway in the Irene area, Centurion. The incident happened between Friday night and Saturday morning.
About 23 people stuck on flooded roads were rescued over the weekend, most of them in the Centurion area.
ALSO READ: Motorist found drowned in car in Centurion
Low water bridges in Centurion flooding
East of Pretoria:
One of the first rescues of people stuck in cars was in the east of Pretoria.
Two people were rescued from a car stuck in Tierpoort Road in Boschkop on Friday night.
Two hours after the first rescue at 22:41, a man had to be rescued by Tshwane EMS and the SAPS diving unit after his car was swept up by the strong Pienaars river current into a tree near the N4 highway at Weighbridge in Donkerhoek.
The rescues happened throughout the night until Saturday morning.
Around 06:00 on Saturday, two people were rescued from the roof of a car on Tyman Road in Bronkhorstspruit.
Mamelodi:
In Mamelodi, 800 people who live in informal settlements dotting the riverbank of the Moretele river, had their homes destroyed yet again.
This weekend’s heavy rains once again featured heart-wrenching scenes of hundreds of people’s homes damaged.
This time around, a man’s body was discovered floating in the murky waters in-between flooded shacks by community members around 13:30 on Saturday.
Adding to the tragedy, the residents of the Soul City informal settlements had to wait hours with the body as police arrived four hours after the first call, and forensic services arrived eight hours after the body was retrieved.
Mabaso said a large-scale evacuation was carried out in the area with the Tshwane bus service transporting residents to temporary accommodation.
Businesses and organisations donated food to affected residents.
While many residents’ homes were damaged, but still standing, there were scores of those who were not so lucky.
The area was first hit by floods in 2019 and promises of relocation were made by different government stakeholders.
A halt to the relocation of hundreds of residents stems from investigations on over-pricing and possible corruption of a land purchase deal worth millions of rands by Tshwane metro.
Tshwane Human Settlement MMC Abel Tau said with regards to the relocation of residents fewer than 2 000 needed to be treated as an “urgent issue”.
Rain brings tragedy to Mamelodi community as man drowns while trying to salvage his belongings
North of Pretoria:
The search continued on Monday for a man who went missing in the Roodeplaat dam over the weekend after a boat capsized.
The man has since been identified as Christo Fritz.
Rescuers found a piece of the boat yesterday.
In Hammanskraal, incidents of flooding were also reported in Ramotse and Makapaan Road, Bosplaas. In Ramotse, only yards were flooded, and utility services were activated to dig trenches to channel water away.
In Bosplaas, emergency services rescued a man who was reported to be standing on the top of the overturned truck on Saturday.
According to Mabaso, the SA Weather Service reported 100-160mm of rain in parts of Tshwane.
Residents were urged to report missing people to the police and Tshwane emergency services.
Mabaso said mop-up operations started in Centurion on Sunday.
He said most of the affected routes have been reopened for traffic.
These operations are in progress while assessments of the extent of the damages are taking place. In Mamelodi, no roads were closed in that area by Monday.
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