The reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by floods across the North West Province that the preliminary assessment estimated at over R100 million will require emergency funding to be fast tracked, North West Premier Thandi Modise confirmed on Thursday, 20 March 2014.
“Though the final assessment has not been concluded, repairs to the damaged infrastructure and enhancement of the design and structural quality of the damaged infrastructure such as houses, bridges, roads and culverts has already commenced,” Premier Modise underscored.
Modise said that lack of spatial planning, municipal by-laws that result in uncoordinated and unplanned human settlements on low lying areas and river banks, poor drainage system in urban areas had increased vulnerability and magnitude of flooding.
Eleven lives were confirmed lost due to sporadic flood disaster incidents as from early February to date. Six of the fatalities were reported in Madibeng and Moses Kotane Local Municipalities in the Bojanala Platinum District while five were reported in Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District.
Kagisano-Molopo was the worst affected by flooding with 232 houses affected 25 of which had collapses , 280 kilometers of road and 5 culverts were damaged in the municipality. Three bridges were also damaged in Moses Kotane and two in Madibeng Local Municipalities.
In some areas, schools were inaccessible due to damaged infrastructure.
Modise said that though relief efforts such as relief of social distress grants, tents, blankets, food parcels and mattresses were rolled out, there is a need for public awareness campaigns on rainwater harvesting initiatives to be intensified in schools and vulnerable communities.
The determination as to whether it will be necessary for the province to be declared a disaster area would depend on the final consolidated assessment report to be finalised in the coming week.
The Madibeng Local Municipality has already submitted a request to Bojanala Platinum District Municipality to declare it a disaster areas in terms of section 54 and 55 of the Disaster Management Act.
The need for municipalities to incorporate disaster risk reduction into their development planning has been identified by the Provincial Disaster Management Centre as a crucial medium to long term intervention.
The centre will continue to monitor the weather pattern and issue early warnings to all relevant stakeholders including communities where necessary.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 388 3157
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
