The OR Tambo district council is applying to have the district declared a disaster area after last week’s devastating floods, with a prelimary report showing that more than R200m worth of damage was sustained.
More than a thousand people across the district were displaced by the killer floods which left at least eight people dead in the Eastern Cape last week. More than 100 houses were damaged by heavy rains in the five local municipalities making up the district municipality.
Bridges and roads were washed away across the district.
OR Tambo district municipal spokesperson Ayongezwa Lungisa told the Daily Dispatch that authorities had resolved to have the area declared a disaster area following a council meeting on Tuesday morning.
“The damage has been quite extensive,” he said.
“We will interact with provincial co-operative governance and traditional affairs [Cogta] and the provincial disaster management centre.”
Cogta spokesperson Mamnkeli Ngam said MEC Fikile Xasa would have to take the matter up with the premier, Phumulo Masualle, and all relevant MECs had to be updated about the assessment report.
The premier would make the call on declaring OR Tambo a disaster area, and the provincial government would also have to engage the national department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs.
“Where a state of disaster is declared, the national department has to be informed and engaged. Each of the affected MECs will check what their departments can do to assist but if the resources of the province are not enough, then further engagements with national Cogta have to take place to help secure more funding,” he added.
Municipal wards in Ingquza Hill municipality were the most affected by the floods.
According to the preliminary report, the damage to infrastructure, including roads and bridges in Ingquza Hill stood at nearly R100m.
In Nyandeni, damage was estimated at more than R45m while at King Sabata Dalindyebo it was more than R24m.
Mhlontlo suffered around R22m in damages to the road infrastructure in its municipal wards, including bridges that were washed away during the floods.
In Port St Johns alone, nearly 900 people were affected.
PSJ mayor Nomvuzo Mlombile-Cingo said on Tuesday some of the people who had been evacuated and moved to halls had returned home.
But municipal bosses continued to be approached by people asking for help. She said the municipality was still receiving donations from big companies and non-governmental organisations including churches from as far as Mbizana.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola and its largest local bottler, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa(CCBSA), have pledged R600,000 to assist victims of floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The companies are also working together with local communities and Plastic SA to help clean up some beaches.
“Disasters like these touch our hearts and affect all us. We have thus pledged R600,000 towards relief efforts already under way for those displaced by the floods,” said CCBSA spokesperson Nolundi Mzimba.
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