Residents of the North West, particularly those who reside in mud houses and low-lying areas, have been most negatively impacted by the ongoing torrential rains.
This has prompted the North West MEC for Human Settlement and Cooperative Governance, Gaoage Oageng Saliva Molapisi, to step in.
He has committed to visiting the impacted families on Tuesday.
One of the residents, Jerry Modikoe, said he no longer has faith in the government.
“Floods have been a problem for me [in this] rainy season. I’ve lost a lot. Three goats, two sheep and a few chickens… they’ve all died,” he said.
Modikoe said the heavy downpours were robbing his family of having a dry place to sleep every night.
Water flooding houses
“We sleep with water [inside our homes and yards] and wake up with water. It is worse now that we are going into the winter season, I feel helpless. I wish I had enough money to relocate,” he said.
Near Mahikeng, in Matsatseng, an informal settlement where some residents built houses with plastic, residents are experiencing the worst.
“It is like we are outside. I love rain but now I am not sure what to say because it has destroyed everything that I have worked hard for,” said a mother of three, Selinah Motlhamme.
She said her furniture had been destroyed and that she was looking for a place to stay, as her makeshift house had been damaged.
“My neighbours have been helpful to accommodate me, but I wonder how long they will be so kind to me,” she said.
Several municipalities lashed by rains
Molapisi said several municipalities in the province were affected.
He said even though some of the impacts of the floods include discomfort, there have been no injuries or fatalities that have been reported.
“Most of the damages happened in disaster-prone areas, exacerbated by material use in the construction of structures, especially informal settlements in the Ngaka Modiri, Mahikeng, Ramotshere Moiloa, and Tswaing local municipalities.
Molapisi promised to visit the affected areas. “On Tuesday I will be visiting some of the affected areas and we are engaging the Department of Human Settlements to attend to the issues of the provision of the temporary residential units.
