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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Victims of flash floods that hit Beitbridge’s Dulivhadzimu suburb between last Wednesday and Thursday, have started receiving immediate support mobilised by the Department of Civil Protection with the help of the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), World Vision and Save the Children, among others.
So far, 165 households have been identified as requiring critical support.
The non-food item kits contained five plates, five mugs, one kitchen knife, a serving spoon, five tablespoons, two pots, two mosquito nets, 20-litre buckets, six aqua tabs, one laminate bag, and washing soap.
The worst affected are those people operating at flea markets, hawkers and small businesses near the old long-distance bus terminus located in a low-lying area in WaMlala Stream.
Heavy rains arrived on Wednesday evening and as of 8am yesterday the Meteorological Services Department had recorded 76mm of rain received over 24 hours.
Beitbridge town clerk Mr Loud Ramakgapola said: “This is a disaster we didn’t expect because we are in October. As a municipality, this is a lesson. We need to work on the drainage system and restore the water and sewer system and our team is hard on the ground. We hope ZETDC will also work on restoring electricity in that area.”
Council is also seeking partners to build new houses and relocate residents that are perennially hit by flash flooding every rainy season.
In the short term, Mr Ramakgapola said the municipality had a team on the ground fixing roads, sewer and water reticulation systems.
District Civil Protection Unit chairperson Mrs Sikhangezile Mafu said a technical team led by Beitbridge Municipality had been set up to look into the immediate needs of the affected.
The team is also expected to make recommendations on the medium and long-term solutions to address challenges in the area.
“We expect the team to urgently assess the damage, and split the numbers of the affected people by age, gender and households so that we may have a clear picture of the extent of help based on each category’s needs,” she said.
“At the same time, we can’t keep talking about the same problem in the same area every rainy season. So, we have tasked the technical team to make recommendations on the long-term solutions. This is a challenge we need to fix permanently.”
Mrs Mafu said the CPU had since engaged local development agencies to complement the Government’s efforts in attending to the immediate needs of businesses and residents in Dulivhadzimu suburb.
They had also alerted the provincial CPU to be on high alert considering that the rainy season was about to start.
Sensitisation teams, Mrs Mafu added, were being sent out to educate people in high flood-risk areas on the dangers and disasters that are prevalent during the rainy season.
“In some instances, we will engage schools, churches, and those with buildings on higher ground to accommodate any victims of rain-induced disasters,” said Mrs Mafu.
People most affected by floods live near rivers including Umzingwane, Shashe and Limpopo Rivers, and those in low-lying areas of Wards 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8.
Online Reporter