Five drown and access roads swept away as flooding devastates Nama Khoi region in Northern Cape

The bodies of 35-year-old former police officer Jowin Nero and three foreigners have been retrieved from the flooded Buffelsrivier in the Nama Khoi region in the Northern Cape.  

A fifth body is yet to be recovered.  

Nama Khoi municipality spokesperson Jason Milford said the foreigners are yet to be identified.  

“The authorities are working to gather information and notify the families affected,” he said.  

Nero’s body was the fourth to be retrieved by the search and rescue team on Sunday.  

“Despite this discovery, there is still one person who remains missing and the search is continuing,” he said.  

The municipality has deployed heavy machinery to clear the road for aid vehicles to access Buffelsrivier to deliver food parcels and medicine. 

The flooding caused by torrential rain damaged road infrastructure in the Namakwa district.

The main access road to Springbok has been swept away, cutting off residents of Buffelsrivier.

Police deployed a helicopter to assist in the transportation of crucial supplies, including food and medical provisions.  

The social development department mobilised to deliver food parcels from Sunday to affected households in Buffelsrivier and Komaggas.

Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers is mobilising its resources to the affected areas.  

“They will provide much-needed resources and assistance to help alleviate the suffering of the affected residents. Their expertise and commitment to humanitarian aid will make a significant difference in the recovery and rebuilding process,” said Milford .   

Diamond company De Beers has prioritised a route through the Grootmis area for Buffelsrivier and Komaggas residents to gain access to Port Nolloth.  

Motorists are advised to proceed with caution. 

“We thank the emergency responders, search and rescue teams and volunteers who have dedicated their efforts to supporting the affected community. We also appreciate the outpouring of support and solidarity from neighbouring communities, government agencies and organisations,” said Milford.  

He urged the public to remain vigilant and follow the instructions and guidance provided by local authorities.

Gift of the Givers founder and chairman Imtiaz Sooliman said communities in Namaqualand have lived through a protracted drought for several years, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of animals, crippling farmers, and huge job losses of farm labourers, with a devastating affect on the local economy.  

Saturday's rain caused flooding of the Buffelsrivier, destroying roads, bridges and infrastructure and cutting off communities in Kamiesberg, Nama Khoi, Richtersveld, Komaggas, Kleinsee, Buffelsrivier, Rooiwal and Vioolsdrift, affecting more than 10,000 people.  

The Karoo Hoogland municipality has also requested assistance for communities in Calvinia, , Nieuwoudtville, Middlepos and Sutherland. 

“Gift of the Givers has been in communication with the municipalities and disaster management in the various regions. They have requested humanitarian assistance from us and helicopters from the Northern Cape government and the SANDF to deliver aid to impassable areas.

“Our vehicles transporting blankets, new clothing, food, Genesis, a nutritionally enriched, ready-to-eat porridge, peanut paste, hygiene packs and bottled water are en route from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Springbok which will be used as our operational centre.”  

He added this year has been busy with multiple fires in Cape Town, floods in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West, Komani, Gqeberha and Port St Johns, a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal and Vredefort, while E-coli affected Makhanda, with ongoing water deprivation in Adelaide, Bedford, Fort Beaufort and Alice.  

Then came the floods in the Western Cape and the mini tornado in KwaZulu-Natal.  

“Gift of the Givers has responded to every area resulting in a major depletion of our supplies. We thank corporates and individual donors for their ongoing generosity,” he said. 

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