Johannesburg - The office of the Speaker of the Johannesburg Municipal Council, Colleen Makhubele, has called on businesses and civil society to lend a helping hand to communities and families that have been affected by floods in the city.
The relentless rains of the last few days have pounded Gauteng and other provinces. The raids have swept roads, dwellings and other structures away while also destroying municipal infrastructure.
Makhubele said her office and the City of Johannesburg were assessing the damage done as part of processes to assist those who had been affected by the floods.
“As the office of the Speaker, we are calling on business and the private sector to please assist. Let us not be ignorant of the suffering of our neighbours and the plight of those who live next to us and are desolate and desperate,” Makhubele said.
Those who want to help can provide food, blankets, tents, or other forms of shelter, as well as lend their hands or make monetary donations, according to the Speaker.
“Please come forward to the office of the Speaker and join forces with us. We are calling on other government departments where they have spare resources to please join hands with the city. Let us be a caring city,” she said.
Makhubele said her office would continue to play its oversight role and ensure that government leaders were accountable to the people. The areas that she was expected to visit were different parts of Tembisa and some parts of Sandton.
Some streets in Soweto had developed enormous potholes as a result of the floods, with residents struggling to move around their neighbourhoods.
Makhubele said Johannesburg emergency services were on high alert, and residents were warned to drive carefully in flooded areas. Parents were also urged to be vigilant about their children’s whereabouts at this time.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has responded to the floods in most provinces by declaring a national state of disaster. In Mpumalanga, seven people have perished because of the floods, while in other provinces, there were reports of people being trapped in flooded areas.
In a statement, ActionSA conveyed its sadness at the destruction wrought by the floods in Mpumalanga and other parts of the country.
“This comes after Police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, confirmed that seven victims drowned. The bodies of three of the deceased were recovered while four are still missing. The victims were from Nkomazi, Nelspruit and Piet Retief,” the party said in a statement.
The Star