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Eerste Fabriek residents say they have lost everything in floods

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Residents of Eerste Fabriek informal settlement next to the Moretele River say they have lost everything during the floods on Monday.

More than 400 people, including children, sought refuge at the Mamelodi Baptist Church as the rain continues in the area.

Pastor Thembelani Jentile says on Tuesday morning they had only five loaves of bread to feed the more than 100 children in their care.

They could not provide food for adults who remained to look after the children and didn’t go to work.

Jentile says the current floods are much worse than the floods in 2017.

He has begged for support from South Africans as he expects they will have to provide shelter and food for the affected residents until the end of the week…

“It’s raining even now, and that’s a very serious problem. And as the rain pours we’ll keep them here. We can’t abandon them. So I’m looking at around Thursday. But there are men who left here who said they want to try and salvage and look around how they can rebuild their lives. But it’s a problem – we can’t have people staying in those places.”

Meanwhile, severe damage has been caused to local businesses that were flooded by the rising Pienaars River. The heavy downpours also brought down residential boundary walls.

Some shops remain closed while business owners and management are assessing the extent of the damage.

Motorists in Hammanskraal, Moretele, and Pienaars River have also been urged to avoid flooded areas and low water bridges during heavy rainfall.

The R101 has been closed in Pienaars River due to flooding Since Monday afternoon. Motorists were advised to use alternative routes such as the, N1 North from Maubane offramp to Bela-Bela and N1 South from Pienaars River to Hammanskraal.

Pretoria’s emergency services and the South African Police Services are out in full force to assist residents affected by floods.


Watch related video below:

 

Numerous trapped people had to be rescued on Monday, including 150 people from a church in Mamelodi, east of the City.

Arrangements for a community centre to house affected people have been made. Members of the public who would like to contribute relief material towards flooding victims can do so at Nelmapius Library and the Centurion Fire Station.

Click on the videos below:

 

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