Pretoria - Tshwane emergency personnel had a busy morning yesterday as the rain continued to batter Pretoria.
Three people escaped with moderate injuries when the driver lost control on the R80, while low water bridges needed to be closed in Centurion due to flooding.
With the SA Weather Services having issued a warning about strong winds, storms and cold that could lead to flooding, motorists and informal settlement dwellers had been asked to be on high alert as some of the roads and communities were flooded from early in the morning.
The floods struck Bufferlake informal settlement in Mamelodi, and shacks were surrounded by water, while gravel roads turned into pools as water rushed to their community from Eerste Fabrieke train station.
Spokesperson for the Tshwane Emergency Services Department, deputy chief Charles Mabaso said they attended to three car occupants after a white Nissan Almera lost control on the R80 near the N4 and plunged into a nearby stream.
In Centurion, utility services responded to calls for the removal of fallen trees that obstructed the roads.
Mabaso said they were monitoring areas identified as flooding hot spots during heavy rains.
These include Block KK informal settlement in Region 1, Stinkwater and Suurman in Region 2, low water bridges in Region 3 like Es’kia Mphahlele and Van der Hoff near Apies River, Centurion Lake Hotel’s bridge in Region 4, Silverlake and Banana Bridge in Mamelodi Region 6.
While Hammanskraal residents needed assistance to clear water from their homes on Monday morning, yesterday saw some Mamelodi residents unsure how long they would need to wait for water to clear around their shacks in Bufferlake informal settlement.
Community leader Vusi Sibiya said: “This has become a norm for us.
Since 2019 we have been having floods here and we have lost hope in our government because there is always a development as to why we cannot be relocated upon set deadlines.
“We had serious flooding in February and they promised to relocate us by February.
“Now they are talking about next year because they are saying there was a budget, but now council needs to first vote on that budget.
“Before that they were saying they could not move us to the land provincial government found for the City of Tshwane because the owner of the land had died so transferring of ownership stalled.”
With MMC for Human Settlements Abel Tau on leave due to allegations of sexual misconduct, community leaders will be meeting with acting MMC in the portfolio Peggy de Bruin today to get an update about their relocation process.
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams called on residents and motorists to be on high alert during heavy rainfall.
“The South African Weather Service has predicted above average rainfall from November until March. This is likely to increase the risk of flooding in various parts of Tshwane.”
Pretoria News