SHAUN SMILLIE and MPILETSO MOTUMI
T HE brat with the exotic name is back – and already she is causing havoc.
La Niña, the weather phenomena known to bring wetter-than-usual summers, is likely to cause increased rainfall across South Africa, according to the South African Weather Service.
The senior forecaster, Lulama Menze, said last night they were expecting higher-than-average rainfall between December and February because of La Niña.
And the Joburg Emergency Management Services (JEMS) said they were preparing for flooding.
“December 16 last year was a hectic flood day for us. This year, we are also expecting heavy rains in December,” JEMS spokesman Synock Matoboko said.
But La Niña has already been up to mischief in Joburg, and she was really naughty in Soweto.
ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said there had been constant call-outs to motor accidents yesterday, “but nothing too serious”.
Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar of the Joburg metro police said there had been a lot of bumper bashings, and a pedestrian was run over yesterday afternoon while running across the N1 highway in the rain.
Minnaar said several roads in Soweto were closed yesterday evening: Klipriver Valley Road and Khumalo Street in Orlando West, and Elias Motsoaledi and Bramfischer roads in Dobsonville.
The Klipspruit’s floodgates were opened.
Residents who live near the Klipspruit said yesterday that City of Joburg officials had visited them last week and they had signed an agreement that they were willing to be relocated. They cannot wait.
Pensioner Evelyn State, 79, has had enough. “Over the years I have had to take out my wooden floors and use tiles. My home is so cold, we constantly have heaters on. My arthritis has just become worse, and my husband is in hospital right now with asthma and I don’t know how I will nurse him in this house,” said a devastated State.
She said the flooding on December 16 last year had been the worst she had seen. “Ever since those floods happened, things just haven’t been the same,” she said.
For starters, when the sky starts turning grey, it makes her whole body quiver.
“We don’t sleep at night. I don’t have the strength to carry on doing this. I have lost so much already. The sewage from the river floods into our homes and it’s so unhealthy. It stinks here,” she said.
State said that when it started to rain, her grandson had to watch the windows while she watched the doors. Her neighbours also helped her out.
They have to move all the furniture from the lounge to the dining room, while the TV is placed on the kitchen counter.
“Is this fair? I can’t enjoy my life anymore. I’ve been in pyjamas all day, trying to clean up,” State said.
She added that buying new items for the house was pointless. “Last year we bought groceries for Christmas, then it rained and the food went with the floods.”
An elderly man, who did not want to be identified, said he was waiting to be moved.
“We know development takes a while, but I hope by next year we will see something happening. It doesn’t matter whether it’s light or heavy rain, our homes always flood when it rains.”
City of Joburg spokesman Virgil James said relevant city agencies – the Johannesburg Roads Agency and Johannesburg Water – would “get back to residents in order to finalise plans towards solving this problem”.
“They need to find a way of putting proper stormwater drainage to ensure that streets don’t get flooded again.”
Meanwhile La Niña is laughing, ready to dance in more rain.