By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Western Cape chief of Disaster Management Colin Deiner has confirmed that one person has died after being swept away by raging floods in the Western Cape.
Deiner, from the provincial disaster management spoke to ENCA.
He said rescue teams are responding to various incidents of flooding within the province.
Deiner urged residents to be extra cautious, especially those who live in low-lying areas and informal settlements.
“We appeal to the public to not cross any dams, any rivers, or any roads that have water flowing. At this stage that is a critical issue that we have to deal with.”
Deiner added that the rescue team has also been struggling to access some areas on the West Coast due to bad weather conditions.
The Disaster Management has since requested assistance from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to provide a helicopter for the purpose of delivering essential humanitarian aid to the flood-affected town of Citrusdal.
The access road to and from Citrusdal has washed away due to heavy rains experienced in the last week. Traffic has stopped on both sides of the road.
Deiner said the town was under lockdown after flooding and that the roads were inaccessible due to infrastructural damage.
He added that the use of helicopters from the SANDF is required in order to access the remote communities along the west coast, enabling the delivery of essential supplies and aid.
Those towns are fairly isolated, and the roads have washed away. On Thursday, we used the province’s helicopter to fly out a child with injuries. Now we need to get in there to deliver food and medical supplies, and we can’t reach the areas by road,” he said.
According to Deiner, certain individuals from Vredendal have been relocated from high-risk zones to temporary housing as a precautionary measure. He said the teams are taking proactive steps to ensure safety by preventing any potential impact of heavy rainfall.
The humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers announced its commitment to providing vital food and non-food items, which will be delivered to the affected regions.
A spokesperson for the organisation said, “We have already diverted our Johannesburg truck from Beaufort West to Malmesbury, whilst the Cape Town teams are currently loading supplies on additional trucks heading out for Malmesbury shortly to avoid being on the road when monster storms are expected to strike the province after midnight. Our trucks have fleece blankets, plastic coveralls, bottled water, bread, non-perishable food items and hygiene packs.”
Gift of the Givers also mentioned that destructive weather conditions invariably lead to a rise in the number of displaced individuals seeking assistance.
“Thousands of blankets, mattresses, sleeping bags, plastic coveralls, hygiene packs, fortified peanut paste and nutritionally enriched Genesis cereal will be required in addition to new clothing, food parcels, stationery and building material. Wuppertal, Tsitsikama and many other areas are joining the queue of distressed communities affected by the constant rain and cold.”
To contribute, please direct your donations to Gift of the Givers at Standard Bank in Pietermaritzburg. The account number is 052137228, with the branch code 057525. When making the deposit, kindly reference ‘SA disaster’ and send the deposit slip to donations@giftofthegivers.org to receive the Section 18A tax certificate.