Africa-Press – South-Africa. Dozens of residents from the low-lying Silvertown informal settlement in Komani have refused to leave their homes for safety shelters after their shacks were ravaged by severe rainfall and flooding that hit the town on Tuesday.
Heavy rains and water from the overflowing Komani River damaged residents’ homes, food, clothing, furniture, and valuables.
Locals said the water started reaching their homes in the early hours of Wednesday, prompting them to climb onto the roofs of their shacks.
Other residents desperately sought refuge in relatives’ homes, but some had nowhere to go. They would not leave their shacks out of fear that criminals would target their belongings.
Affected families have been trying to salvage what is left of their belongings so that they can move it to their relatives’ homes.
One woman, Bukelwa Noyi, 65, said she and her family were asleep when they realised that water had entered their shack.
She recalled:
Noyi said all their food had been damaged, as well as their clothing, beds, cupboards and other furniture.
She told News24 she was gathering what she could, with the assistance of community members, and moving her belongings to the homes of her relatives.
A 25-year-old, pregnant Unathi Magushana said her biggest concern was her unborn baby.
She said she did not want to give birth in such an unstable environment.
“I am worried because my waist and bottom of my stomach are sore. Government must intervene because this is not an environment where I would want to give birth.”
Noyekanje Polo was among those who were helped onto rooftops in the early hours of Wednesday.
Polo, 54, said she lived in Silvertown since 1995 and that it was not the first time water had flooded her shack.
“I have had enough of living in a shack. The government must intervene. Our councillors are not doing anything for us. They only come when they are looking for votes and we want and need their assistance now,” she said.
The Chris Hani District Municipality has been working closely with the Enoch Mgijima municipality to address the crisis.
Chris Hani municipality spokesperson Bulelwa Ganyaza said some of the streets in Komani, such as Perlem Road and Griffiths Street, as well as bridges, were overflowing and had to be closed for motorists’ safety.
She said the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality had identified the Gali Thembani facility as a shelter for affected people. More than 1 000 people have been moved there.
“The disaster management team is assessing the extent of the damage and traffic officials are monitoring the situation, controlling traffic flow and providing alternative routes. No account of lost lives [has been] reported thus far. Constant updates will be provided,” Ganyaza said.
The Life Queenstown Private Hospital in Komani was also forced to transfer patients to East London on Wednesday after the water invaded some of the hospital’s buildings.
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