More than 500 people left destitute in Orange Farm after floods

More than 500 people have been left destitute at Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg following flooding in the area.  Johannesburg Disaster Management says more than 200 households have been affected, among them 170 children under the age of 16.

Mabel Mokgele from extension 10 in Orange Farm says she has suffered a great loss.

“I have lost my cupboards and the backrooms. And the people who rented my backrooms left as a result of he water flooding in here. Titles on the floor are coming out, my cupboards are made out of wood, there is a lot of damage. In one of the backrooms there was a girl who lived in there. She lost her DVD player and the bed. There is nothing left for us. “

Roads and bridges remain closed 

Motorists in the Vaal are also calling on government to intervene following flooding in the area. Several roads and bridges remain closed after yesterday’s heavy downpours. In Three Rivers in Vereeniging, some houses alongside the riverbanks of the Vaal are submerged in water.

A golf course is also affected. Twelve flood gates have now been opened in the Vaal Dam due to the heavy rain. Motorist Thabiso Mothobi has been trying his best to travel around the area, under challenging circumstances.

“I’m visiting my daughter here in Vereeniging. On our way we encountered the problem of flooding from yesterday’s rain. We are asking for government to intervene because this looks like a national disaster. This is the only route that we know. Now we have to ask for directions. So, we are asking for the intervention of the national government.”

Meanwhile, authorities in Mpumalanga have been monitoring the destruction to infrastructure caused by persistent heavy rains in that province.

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