Residents downstream of Vaal River fear the worst as they flee homes

Jenni Gomez, 60, who stays downstream of the Vaal River, fears that history could repeat itself after the department of water and sanitation opened a fifth sluice gate on Sunday.

With her house situated on the bank of the Vaal River in Pretorius Kraal in the Free State, she said she was evacuating the property as she didn't have “much of a choice”. 

She recalled the 2023 flooding, which left damage of almost R400,000 on her property.

“The bottom line is that there is a damage. In 2023, my house was about 1.5 metres under water,” she said. 

She complained that the department should have opened the sluice gates before the water level especially at the Bloemhof storage reached 96%.

She said the department knew almost two weeks back, considering the weather forecast, that they would be forced to open the sluice gate. 

“I am evacuating at the moment. I don't have much of a choice, and if the water gets in my house, it will be worse. I can tell you now I haven't got insurance,” she said. 

She added it wasn't fair for people who live down the stream. “I now have about 700/800mm before the water reaches my house. Water is still rising,” she said.

Koos Byleveldt, who stays about 3km upstream from Gomez, said the area was flooded, and water was starting to get into his house. He said about 80% of the people who stayed around had already been evacuated. 

“We are about 11km from Orkney. The place is just flooded, and everybody is just busy evacuating here,” he said. 

He added he couldn't estimate the damage, but water was getting into his property.

“I am busy evacuating. Cleaning will only start after the water returns to normal. There is no real damage [to the property] yet, and most people evacuated before the water reached their place,” he said. 

Dr Kenneth Kaunda district municipality executive mayor Nikiwe Julia Num said there were areas outside the Vaal jurisdiction in the municipality that were affected by the rain.  She said the municipality was working with local municipalities to do proactive evacuation and advised residents close to Vaal River banks to evacuate when they see level of water rising. 

“In some areas, the water gets into the households because of lack of stormwater capabilities. There are various streams that have contributed to the localised flooding where people have been affected,” she said.  “The N12 remains a critical challenge for us, especially in the Stilfontein area. There is a lot of water that is stuck on the road and it hasn't been pumped off.”

She added that residents across the Vaal were being prioritised with evacuations and advised to evacuate if they saw water approaching their homes.  “Most of the residents do have alternative areas where they can go, but where they are not provided, the local municipality of Matlosana has always had a plan in terms of alternative accommodation.”

Num added the disaster team was constantly monitoring the whole district and has been monitoring the Vaal River.  “As much as we love rain, its consistence is challenging our infrastructure, but we are ready as the district to work with all of the stakeholders involved so that we avoid any loss of life.”

The City of Matlosana's local municipality executive mayor, Fikile Mahlophe, visited the N12 in Stilfontein for an in-loco inspection of the road following heavy rainfall and floods that have hit the area.

Mahlope announced the interventions the municipality is making to provide disaster relief to those affected by the floods in Stilfontein and Orkney.

The municipality has offered to evacuate residents staying near the Vaal River to some accommodation at the recreational facilities of the municipality, though some prefer to go and stay with relatives or friends in safer residences. 

Mahlophe said the municipality has recently tabled its draft budget and will have to make some adjustments to cater for the damage the rain has made to the road infrastructure across the city.

He said potholes had worsened as a result of the incessant rain. He said though it was the responsibility of Sanral to take care of the N12 national road, the municipality was doing some work to drain the water from the road.

The municipality has also approached the provincial department of public works and roads and the office of the premier to help fix the main roads across the city. He appealed to motorists using the road between Stilfontein and Klerksdorp and Stilfontein and Potchefstroom to remain patient and follow the temporary traffic diversion provided.