Business owners in Bethlehem, Free State, have expressed concern about the town’s poor drainage system.
It is said to be a contributing factor to flooding whenever it rains.
Following the town’s flash floods, some business owners spent the majority of the day cleaning the mud and water from their establishments.
A total of 29 people were rescued this week following heavy rains.
Business premises and stores have been affected by the incessant rain. Some retailers could not trade as their stores were still wet.
Mopping-up operations continue following heavy rain over the past two days. Some of the owners lamented the poor drainage system in the area.
“The drains are not been cared of and they are not cleaned at all. So all the water dams are up, no space where the water goes and all the water just dams up in front of all the shops here an cause a big problem when there’s a lot of water goes into the shops and mud everywhere,” says one business owner.
Another adds, “The problem here is that the sewage channels or drains are blocked so the water or the rain from the top of the town comes down in the sewage pipes and blocks here and start overflowing here.”
The Dihlabeng Municipality says it has prepared for the worse. Municipal spokesperson, Tshediso Maitse, says the Municipality is on standby to assist those affected by the heavy rain.
Maitse elaborates, “From yesterday even today municipal workers had been hard at work clearing the storm water channels that were blocked that affected the flow of water. Even the Jordan River that had debris from dead trees has been cleared and everything has been mopped off and water flowing and we don’t foresee any problems.”
Residents have been warned about the dangers of crossing flooded bridges. They are also urged to avoid low-lying areas.
