Lenasia homes damaged by heavy rains, mop-up operations start

Fridges floating in water, collapsed walls and flooded houses. These were the scenes at Hospital Hills in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, as heavy downpours ravaged the area and left a trail of destruction. 

At least 88 homes were damaged.

Ward councillor Puseletso Nzimande said municipal entities will start clean-up operations on Monday. 

“Residents are piecing their lives together. They are helping with rebuilding homes and cleaning up houses after heavy rain on Thursday night,” Nzimande said on Sunday.

Shehnaaz Mohamed of Gift of the Givers said they have offered relief to affected families.

“We sent immediate needs like blankets, hygiene packs and hot meals on Saturday and we are going back on Monday to give affected families food parcels and clothing,” Mohamed said.

She said they also helped affected families with cleaning up their homes.

She told TimesLIVE the damage was bad and that roads had lifted and eroded.

“We couldn’t drive in the area due to the mud and had to park on the main road,” she said.

Nzimande said she had contacted the city’s disaster management office and they were assessing the situation to see how affected families could be helped.

She said the Johannesburg Roads Agency would begin road repairs on Monday.

“I want a lasting solution to this. The drainage system must be fixed because we can’t live in panic when we see clouds gathering,” Nzimande said. 

She cautioned people to stop illegal land invasions and building houses on land that is not formalised . 

“What we are picking up is that people have built houses on top of servitude land. Their houses are where water is supposed to pass.”

Nzimande said seven houses had been identified that must be moved urgently.  

TimesLIVE