Homes and camping resorts in some areas around the Vaal Dam are experiencing floods of their own, with the water levels rising to 115% on Wednesday and the opening up of eight sluice gates.
Henning Vosloo, who lives 22km outside Parys downriver, said his cabin was under water.
“It started rising over the weekend and on Monday we evacuated our cabin. Then the water was still just on the bottom room but yesterday [Wednesday] morning, it went over the bottom rooms and started getting to the top side of the cabin,” he said.
It’s hitting everybody but it is flushing the river out — that is one good thing. Of course it has caused flooding. I think they controlled it as well as they could have.
— Save the Vaal Environment (Save) chair Maureen Stewart
He said the opening of the sluice gates was bad news for him.
“When they open it, our campsites are close to the river, so as soon as the water level rises, the water starts going into campsites and the flow of the river gets too high and you cannot fish,” he said.
Vosloo said the water started rising three days ago.
“From December up to now, we have been hit the hardest. There is still rain coming — we hope they do not have to open more sluice gates at the Vaal Dam,” Vosloo said.
He told Sunday Times Daily his camping and fishing businesses have been affected.
“With the water levels now, I can’t even take in campers because the whole campsite, even my cabins, is underwater. And the cabin is quite high from the normal water level. It’s damaging everything — not just our places, but the environment as well — because the banks are getting damaged, the trees are falling down and it’s really not good,” he said.
Save the Vaal Environment (Save) chair Maureen Stewart said flooding is always a concern because the people who suffer the most are generally the poorest.
“It’s hitting everybody but it is flushing the river out — that is one good thing.”
She said so far the situation had been well managed.
“Of course it has caused flooding. I think they controlled it as well as they could have. But a benefit of it is that the river is being well and truly flushed out from sewage. But the cause remains and that is the broken sewerage works,” she said.
Last Wednesday, the department of water and sanitation announced that five sluice gates were open due to the huge inflows after the recent downpours.
Spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said there had been more inflows into the dam since last week.
Ratau said opening sluice gates would reduce the dam’s capacity and that the warning issued last week for residents living downriver to remain vigilant still applied and was now more critical.
