The search is still on for an Uber driver and two missing passengers, south of Pretoria.
They reportedly drowned when the vehicle they were travelling in was swept away by flood water at the Olifantspruit River bridge at Olifantsfontein on Saturday morning.
The search was called off last night due to safety concerns.
Another four people were rescued from their vehicle by police divers and Ekurhuleni Emergency Services in the same area after it got stuck in flood waters.
Polokwane Bopape’s sister is one of the missing passengers. She was on vacation in Botswana when the incident took place.
“She send me a voice note around 12h00 midnight that they were drowning and that I should call for help. So, the SAPS members have given us report that they are still searching. They haven’t found anyone yet, but they’re still searching this side and that side of Centurion.”
Heavy downpours have left several businesses and residential areas flooded in and around Tshwane and Ekurhuleni in Gauteng since Friday night. Roads and bridges have been washed away. Scores of families in informal settlements in Mamelodi and parts of Ekurhuleni have been left homeless and are in need of urgent assistance.
In KwaZulu-Natal authorities say over 100 people have been left homeless following the heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal. The provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs says disaster management teams are continuing with assessments that will provide the extent of the damage in various municipalities.
The department’s Spokesperson Senzo Mzila says, “Heavy rains that were experienced by the province has left a trail of destruction in a number of areas, which include eMdlangeni Wards 1, 2, 3 and 5; Greater Kokstad Wards 9, 5 and 1 and also in eMfolozi and Mtubatuba. So far, no loss of life has been reported. About 138 people that were left homeless when their homes were flooded in eMadlangeni and Greater Kokstad local municipalities Disaster management teams are continuing to do extensive assessments that will provide a clear picture of the extent of the damage.”
Heavy rains causing havoc in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal:
