'Party barge' breaks free of mooring, floats down swollen Vaal river

A sightseeing and party barge that broke free from its mooring on the swollen Vaal river in the North West is being retrieved by its owner after a video of it floating downstream was shared on social media.

Owner Jandre Kasselman said he was relieved no-one was injured and the barge not seriously damaged on its journey downstream overnight.

“The water came up and some trees came down the river and put pressure on the side of the barge,” he said.

“We are busy retrieving it [the barge]. It's usually used on weekends to take people across the river for sightseeing and parties,” said Kasselman.

Though no-one was injured, he joked that his brother, who was responsible for keeping it tied securely, might end up being injured.

“He only tied it with a rope. Maybe I will injure him after all this drama,” he chortled.

The department of water & sanitation (DWS) said it was continuing to monitor dams and rivers after the recent heavy rains.

Spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said to manage and protect infrastructure the department decided to keep four sluice gates open at the Vaal Dam.

“The dam, which supplies most of Gauteng, has four sluice gates open as at this morning with another to be opened during the course of this morning, which will bring the total to five. Bloemhof Dam releases will be increased to 1,400 cubic metres per second as at 8am [Tuesday], with a great possibility of further increases later in the day,” he said.

Ratau warned downstream communities to be prepared for a huge increase in water over the next few days.

“Farmers and downstream communities are asked to remove equipment that may be damaged due to the outflow, as well as ensure all necessary precautions.”

He added that residents and communities should take note of messages from municipalities, emergency services and disaster management if there needed to be evacuations.

“It is always most important to protect and save lives and livelihoods,” said Ratau.

DA councillor Chris Bester said homes in the area had not yet been evacuated but the situation was being monitored closely.

“The water levels are quite high and we are on alert.”

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