A 50-year-old man has lost his life due to heavy downpours in Maokeng, Kroonstad in the Free State.
Kroonstad, including most parts of the Free State have experienced torrential rains over the past few days. An estimated 150-millimetre rain has been received across the province.
The Weather Services has issued a warning for more rains. The 50-year-old Motaung Mokemane’s vehicle was swept away by rainwater at a low bridge. His body was discovered in the morning by community members.
“We are very sad as the family. It has affected us a lot especially my mother here. As you can see, she is not feeling well but the whole family is affected,” says sister of the deceased Motshewa Mokemane.
Residents have been warned to stay indoors. Moqhaka Local Municipality is assessing the extent of the damage.
“We are busy assessing the damage but we can safely say about 80 households have been affected. We have not yet evacuated them because the need has not yet raised. But the other thing that we have done is to identify local places where we can place them in case such happens,” says Mayor Motloheloa Mokatsane.
Misleading information on social media networks has been discouraged.
“People who are sending wrong and misleading information on the social media network. Some videos that we have seen that are claimed to be from Kroonstad, are not from Kroonstad. I’m from all the bridges and that some of them on the social network, are not from Kroonstad,” says MEC of Cooperative Governance Ketso Makume.
The forecast is that rain will continue for the next few days.
