Damage from heavy rains in Mpumalanga estimated at more than R400 million

The damage caused by the heavy rains in Mpumalanga is estimated to be over R400 million. Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane revealed this while conducting an inspection of the affected infrastructure in Mbombela and surrounding areas.

Mtsweni-Tsipane was accompanied by MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Mandla Msibi.

SABC’s Tumelo Machogo reports:

The floods have left a trail of destruction in different parts of the province.  The City of Mbombela is the hardest-hit with roads and bridges having been damaged.

It has not only affected infrastructure but people have also been washed away. Eight people who were washed away have been found and around five remain missing.

The search for the missing individuals continues.  Some were washed away while trying to cross flooded streams while some, their houses were washed away by the floods.

Rita Mzimela, from Kanyamazane, has a relative who is one of the missing persons.

“As the family, we are heartbroken. They say he has been seen but they are unable to recover him. Some are being found while he has not been found. We don’t know what to do,” says Mzimela.

Recent rains in Mpumalanga claim lives, damage infrastructure: 

The Ehlanzeni region is the hardest-hit in the province. Nkomazi Local Municipality, Bushbuckridge, Thaba Chweu and Mkhondo are some of those affected.

The Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane says the province will approach the national government for financial support.

“We would like to go back and re-work our budget such that we start rolling out our plan the programme of fixing the damage, to date we have to quantify the damage and of course national has come in and done the assessment on their own as well, the damage we have quantified so far is R425 million, we have not completed that exercise,” says Mtsweni-Tsipane.

Meanwhile, traffic volumes have increased on the N4 toll road between Kanyamazane and Mbombela. A bridge linking Kanyamazane, Thekwane South and Mbombela was washed away by the heavy rains over the weekend forcing motorists to use the N4 toll road.

Persistent rains wreak havoc in Mpumalanga