The recent floods in Taung have claimed the life of a nine-year-old boy in Mokgareng village whose body was discovered on Saturday in a nearby river by members of the community. The deceased was in the company of his friends when he slipped and fell into the flooded river.
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Mmoloki Cwaile has expressed heartfelt condolences to the deceased’s family and has pleaded with the parents to always make sure that the children do not play near flooded rivers nor walk along the river banks or cross unsafe bridges.
All parts of the province continue to receive persistent torrential rains which have caused damage to most bridges, houses and roads infrastructure. Many areas in Greater Taung local municipality are most affected by the rains. Residents find it difficult to access goods and services at the nearest towns because of the flooded roads and damaged bridges.
Most houses, mainly mud houses have been damaged in Kagisano-Molopo and Greater Taung local municipalities. A total of 96 houses have been damaged in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district and the affected households are also getting assistance.
Separate incidents of damaged houses and roads have been reported in some areas in Ratlou, Ditsobotla, Mahikeng and Ramotshere Moiloa local municipalities in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District. At least 432 houses and hostel units in Matlosana were flooded and intervention is underway to assist the families with temporary structures, food parcels and blankets.
In Bojanala Platinum district, 16 households have been affected and they are also getting assistance in the form of temporary structures, food parcels and blankets. An incident of drowning has been reported in Ga-Rasai village near Brits in Madibeng local municipality.
Since the heavy rains began, MEC Cwaile has been visiting affected areas in the province. He said disaster management officials are hard on the ground to intervene and assist those who have been affected by the floods.
“Where there is a need, temporary structures are being erected and households are also provided with social relief packages such as food parcels, blankets and mattresses. Disaster management teams from both the province and municipalities are on the ground to conduct impact assessments to determine the extent of the damages and come up with the necessary interventions in the affected areas across the province,” he said.
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