The North West Provincial Disaster Management Centre, and the Municipal Disaster Centres are on high alert following incidents of disasters across the province.
The teams are currently conducting needs and impact assessment following heavy rainfall that affected many parts of the province and damaged infrastructure, properties and possessions.
The province experienced heavy rainfall in the past few days, leaving destruction at the Bojanala Platinum and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipalities.
Both formal and informal houses were damaged by the heavy rains including municipal infrastructure such as culverts, roads and bridges.
“Kromkuil bridge in Moretele has collapsed, scores of houses in Moretele, Rustenburg, JB Marks, Ditsobotla, Ratlou and Mahikeng local municipalities were flooded.
Roofs of houses at Mokgola in Ramotshere Moiloa and Ledig in Moses Kotane were blown away.
Mud houses at Moshwaneng in Ratlou local municipalities were affected and faced possibilities of collapsing.
Public amenities such as hospitals, clinics and schools were also not spared,” read a statement from the department Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs.
The disasters also affected health facilities in the province.
“Lehurutshe Hospital, Moses Kotane Hospital in Ledig and General De La Rey in Lichtenburg are some of those which were affected.
Bogosi Clinic and Primary School in Moretele was also water-logged.
Mop-up operations are underway to bring all affected facilities back to full operation,” added the statement.
Moreover, the department MEC Oageng Molapisi has directed coordination to assist affected residents and communities across the province.
“The provincial preparedness and response contingency plan have been developed and are being implemented.
Various sector departments and municipalities have been briefed and activated in line with their roles and responsibilities, and they use their own resources to respond to emergencies/disasters incidents.
The National Department of Human Settlement provided Temporary Residential Units (TRU’s) for damaged houses in the province.
The affected departments will reprioritise their budget to address the pressure created by the flood disaster incidents,” Molapisi remarked.
The Department of Social Development and SASSA have profiled affected families and the Social Relief of Distressed grant has since been provided.
Aid organisations have also provided humanitarian relief in some affected areas including Ditsobotla.
The blocked drainage systems have been blamed for exacerbating the floods, and the MEC has directed sector departments and municipalities to budget for proactive disaster management activities to avert some of the disaster incidents.
“As part of the long-term intervention, municipalities must on an on-going basis maintain road infrastructures and storm water drainage systems to reduce flooding.
The Department of Public Works and Roads in collaboration with municipalities will repair damaged roads, bridges and culverts and the Department of Human Settlements will repair all affected RDP houses.
Municipalities must incorporate disaster risk reduction into development planning (IDP’s), and they must also develop bylaws and their enforcement strategy thereof,” explained Molapisi.
According to the South African Weather Service, the province will continue to experience above-normal rainfall throughout the autumn season.
