Cederburg municipality picks up the pieces after floods

CITRUSDAL - Plans are afoot to get Citrusdal and its residents back on the road.

During recent downpours, the Olifants River burst its banks, washing away a chunk of the main road into and out of the Western Cape town.

While repair work is underway in the area, some displaced residents of an informal settlement say they're still unable to go home.

Cederberg Municipality officials say flood damage, excluding to infrastructure, is estimated at R60-million.

The agriculture sector is counting losses of nearly R500-million. 

Exactly three weeks ago, the town was cut off following the collapse of this road but work is underway as this temporary road is being used to access the town.

Cederberg mayor Ruben Richards said, "The idea is that, as soon as possible, we get two-lane traffic along this access road, so, that we can reduce the congestion and frustration that people have. More importantly, the access, the hospital, business, private citizens because it is the main access road."

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Mayor Richards says the farming industry was hard hit.

"So the farmers lost the opportunities because it’s a fresh fruit export market and so we couldn’t get the goods to the harbor and the fruit gets rotten."

Pamela Mdala, who works at a local farm, has been staying at a community hall since being evacuated during the rains.

She says her house, which is next to the Olifants River, is still flooded but her more immediate concern is food.

She said, "We can’t leave and look for other places because our building material is still in River View. Those who could go back to their homes, took our food and left. We’re now running out of food."

Another displaced resident says all they're asking for is land on which to rebuild.

Amanda Bam said, "I won’t lie to you, we don’t know what’s happening when it comes to land for us. We hear rumors that there are promises. But we’ve never heard the mayor or any official telling us that we will be moved to a different place."

Mayor Richards says they're planning to relocate River View, informal settlement residents.

And local authorities say, while they've recorded a lot of damage to infrastructure, they’re grateful that no lives were lost.