Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane believes poor infrastructure and illegal buildings have exacerbated the impact of flooding in the province.
Mtshweni-Tsipane said the “violation of spatial laws” and poor infrastructure were “contributing factors” in the “disaster” facing the province when she visited flood-stricken areas in Mbombela and the Nkomazi Local Municipality on Saturday.
The visit followed several drownings in the province. On Thursday, 9 February, a 60-year-old man from kaMdladla was swept away while fishing in the Mlumati River.
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In another incident, an 18-year-old pupil from Shongwe Boarding School was swept away in the same river.
Persistent rain has caused “massive damage” to roads, bridges, health and school facilities, houses, water plants and farms, said Mtshweni-Tsipane’s spokesperson, Sibongile Mkani-Mpolweni.
Relief material, including food, is being delivered to disaster-stricken areas. Efforts are underway to fix water treatment plants for water supply, added Mkani-Mpolweni.
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“The assessments sought to implement short and long-term interventions in response to the disaster,” said Mkani-Mpolweni.
“The delegation assessed Thekwane south in the City of Mbombela before traveling to the Mlumati River bridge between Driekoppies and Schoemansdal, the Shongwe Boarding School, as well as the temporary accommodation shelter at Masibekela.”
Mtshweni-Tsipane said many communities were located in low-lying areas near rivers and dams, and residents risked drowning and losing all their belongings.
Some of our residents have settled in flood lines, thereby violating spatial laws that regulate land management. This ultimately leads to waterlogged houses, displacement of families and fatalities. We must intensify the enforcement of municipal by-laws to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Mtshweni-Tsipane said the lack of stormwater drainage led to “the overflowing of water above the bridges”.
“In almost all the bridges that we have assessed, it is clear that they are low, and therefore as soon as the water levels rise, water flows through all directions. As we restore the infrastructure, we will ensure that the levels of the bridges are raised higher and that we build the drainage system without fail,” the premier said.
The persistent rain has interrupted schooling in the Nkomazi Local Municipality. With more rain predicted this week, Mtshweni-Tsipane warned residents to be on high alert. She urged parents to keep children away from rivers and dams.
The government announced a national state of disaster in response to widespread flooding across the country.
The Presidency said the declaration would enable “an intensive, coordinated response” to the impact of floods in Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North West regions.
