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3 hours ago
Eastern Cape Floods | Victims in temporary shelters as more rains expected
NELSON MANDELA BAY - Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality officials have established an operations centre to keep an eye on areas that could be affected by more flooding.
Heavy overnight and morning rainfall has left several areas submerged under water.
Meanwhile, almost an hour outside Gqeberha, a farming community says the heavy rain is worsening their service delivery nightmares.
The community of Hankey has described their living conditions as a health hazard.
Flooding that has been caused by the recent rains and an ongoing sewage spill is entering their homes.
Hankey resident Zanele Klaas said, "this is not just stormwater, it is a sewage dam that is mixed with stormwater. I have a one-year-old who's in and out at the doctor's surgery, maybe two times per month the baby is having a runny stomach and vomiting out of the blue."
Residents say that for years now the Kouga Local Municipality has been unable to resolve their problems when it rains.
Former councillor Aaron Nkomo claims that some people have even drowned as a result of these floods.
Aaron Nkomo said, "when people raise these issues they came with promises that they are the organisation that is going to solve this problem we elected them to come to power but in my experience, it is five people who have died here."
The municipality says it is also concerned by the impact the heavy rain has caused. It is for this reason that they are trying to assist residents who are facing these difficulties.
Kouga mayor Horatio Hendricks said, "in the last few days, the municipality has been proactive in trying to help communities to get rid of the assessed water by digging trenches, by issuing sandbags, for those who want to barricade themselves, we have sent around a roaming truck to help with the sucking if water did enter people's houses."
The people from the farming town of Hankey have also urged the municipality to work together with local farmers who have pledged to provide support where necessary.