Heavy downpours leave a trail of destruction in four local municipalities

Broken rails and detritus at the Pelem Road bridge in Komani which was damaged by the recent floods. (Photo: Tembile Sgqolana)

By Tembile Sgqolana

12 Feb 2023

Two people lost their lives and one person is still missing after they were swept away by floods during the heavy rains this week in Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape.

The persistent heavy rainfall in the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) in the Eastern Cape has claimed two more lives in Cofimvaba and Komani, and a third person is still missing.

More than 1,000 others were displaced in Komani informal settlements on Wednesday and are kept in Gali Thembani Special School while waiting for the temporary houses to be done this week.

Devastation wreaked by the floods in eRhawutini Informal Settlement in Komani. (Photo: Thando Ndabula)

According to CHDM spokesperson Bulelwa Ganyaza two bodies were discovered in Cofimvaba and Komani respectively on Saturday.

Read in Daily Maverick:https: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-09-one-fatality-reported-bridges-damaged-as-rain-lashes-parts-of-eastern-cape/

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Ganyaza said the rescue teams were still searching for more people who might have been swept away.

“Disaster management teams, emergency services and the South African Police Services (SAPS) have confirmed that at least two bodies have been recovered following floods that wreaked havoc in the areas this week,” she said.

Ganyaza said the heavy downpours left a trail of destruction in four local municipalities, with two people reported to be missing in Cofimvaba in Intsika Yethu municipality on Friday.

“So far, SAPS has retrieved one body while the search continues for one other person who is also believed to have been swept away in Qumanco River in Cofimvaba. The disaster management team also recovered a woman’s body from the Komani River in Owen Street. The deceased’s identity is still unknown,” said Ganyaza.

A woman crosses the Pelem Road bridge from town to Mlungisi location. (Photo: Tembile Sgqolana)

She said residents are encouraged to report missing persons with the SAPS and also urged to avoid dangerous crossings until flood waters subside.

“The district municipality sends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” she said.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana said on Saturday at about 4pm the body of an unknown woman of approximately 40 years old was found in the Komani River in Owen Street.

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“In another incident, two men from Cofimvaba drowned on Friday in the Qumanco River. The incident was reported on Saturday and the body of a 58-year-old male was found, however the second person is still missing. The search for the missing person will continue today and an inquest docket is opened,” he said.

Kinana appealed to anyone who may have lost loved ones in the floods to contact their nearest police station to establish whether the unidentified bodies could be their family members.

One of the first people to see the woman’s body at the Komani River, Nqobizitha Nyambose, said he was called by a young trolley driver who asked him to come see if the person in the river was dead.

“When I saw the person, half of her lower body was under the water, while the upper body was above the water. The upper body was naked,” he said.

Nyambose said they are still traumatised by what they saw.

“We went to the police station to report the case and the police came to retrieve the body,” he said.

CHDM deputy executive mayor Noncedo September-Caba said assessments are still in progress across the district to determine the impact of the heavy rainfall in the district.

“Four local municipalities, namely Enoch Mgijima, Dr AB Xuma, Emalahleni and Intsika Yethu are now affected. Road infrastructure and bridges have been severely impacted while some have collapsed,” she said.

Broken rails and detritus at the Pelem Road bridge in Komani which was damaged by the recent floods. (Photo: Tembile Sgqolana)

September-Caba said their disaster management team had to be dispatched on Saturday morning to Zone 1 in Ezibeleni where houses were reported to be flooded.

“As the district municipality, we commend the swift response by relevant stakeholders including sector departments in support of the affected families. This intervention has greatly assisted in mitigating further eventualities,” she said

She said they also extend their deepest gratitude to all those who have reached out adding their weight in support of the flood victims from the community, churches, NGOs, different political organisations and businesses.

“Support and contributions [ranging] from clothes, blankets and mattresses, to groceries, hygiene and baby-care packs including sleeping bags have thus far been received and distributed to the affected families,” said September-Capa.

She said their disaster management team, emergency services, Red Cross and Gift of the Givers are still hard at work providing all the necessary assistance.

Read in the Daily Maverick: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-09-floods-displace-more-than-1000-informal-settlement-residents-in-komani/

On Friday, the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlement MEC Siphokazi Lusithi visited the flood victims in Gali Thembani Special School.

She said the Department of Human Settlement, working with other departments and municipalities, has assessed the impact of the disaster and 227 households were identified as being in immediate need of shelter.

“As the department we are moving swiftly to bring relief to the affected families through our emergency programme. The department will be providing temporary residential units to 227 affected families. It is incumbent upon us as the people’s government to respond with agility when our people are confronted with disasters of this nature,” she said.

Lusithi said the municipality is planning to relocate the affected households to New Rathwick land earmarked for a human settlement construction project of 3,000 housing units. The Housing Development Agency is an implementing agent for both the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme and the Human Settlement Development Grants.

The South African Human Rights Commission’s Eileen Carter said they have monitored the rollout of relief on the ground.

“Displaced communities were quickly assisted, however the concerns are around the adjacent relief required,” she said.

Carter said the number of natural disasters the province faces is increasing, which affects the immediate ability to respond.

“It also appears that municipalities can improve on their response time … in the face of, for instance, flooding. Currently 124 food parcels and baby packs are needed at the Gali Thembani Special School,” she said.

Carter said relief can also be dropped off at the provincial disaster management centre in Bhisho, but closer to Komani it would be the Chris Hani Disaster Management Centre (contact person Mr Z Yafele, 082 258 8080).

On Saturday, trucks had started clearing the field where the temporary houses are going to be erected. DM/OBP

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