The scores of displaced families from the Lapland informal settlement in Kariega, who are currently housed in the VGK church hall following last week’s floods will have a roof over their heads in the next month, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised them.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-affected areas in and around Kariega today, following severe floods that have caused extensive damage to public infrastructure, 40 schools have been damaged, and 10 lives have been lost in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.
During his visit, aimed at assessing the coordinated response efforts by government agencies, their entities, and various civil society organizations, President Ramaphosa committed to providing temporary housing within 30 days for the displaced residents of Lapland, who are currently sheltering at VG Kerk.
He assured them of the government’s promise to arrange accommodation for those displaced in the meantime.
Ramaphosa attributed the floods to climate change, noting that the damages are estimated to be around five to six billion Rand.
The floods have severely impacted infrastructure, including factories like Volkswagen, and have resulted in the collapse of bridges and the severance of roads.
“We should not be having 230ml of rain in two hours, we have never really had so much rain and just a matter of two hours where everything was washed away,” he told the affected communities.
Torrential rains and storm-strong winds had ripped through Kariega and parts of Gqeberha, leaving thousands destitute.Ramaphosa accompanied by Oscar Mabuyane, Eastern Cape premier, minister of human settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi and the minster of cooperative governance and traditional Affairs (Cocgta), Thembisile Phumelele Simelane-Nkadimeng, toured Kariega to oversee the impact the rain had on the lives of the residents of Kariega.
“Many people’s lives have been disrupted. Fortunately, our disaster agencies kicked in as quickly as possible, and we are also happy our local, provincial, and national governments worked together.”This is where we see the strength of the district development model,” Ramaphosa said.
He commended the work of the government and the cooperation of the various stakeholders in the Kariega community.
He was saddened by the loss of the ten lives but emphasized how more lives could have been lost had there not been interventions by other various stakeholders during the severe rains that led to flooding.
He added that the government will have to scrounge around because we have to respond to repairing people’s lives.
“In the future, we will be able to respond more quickly and effectively,” Ramphosa said.
Simelane-Nkadimeng said that 40 schools suffered damage in the recent floods, but measures are in place to support the affected students and continue their education. She said that the Department of Transport and Education works on Scholar Transport to assist affected children.
She further mentioned, “transitional arrangements have been made for the children, and the Department of Education will assist children with learner material such as school uniforms.”
Mabuyane said that the part of the Matanzima Road that was swept away in the flood will need to be fixed so that people can access essential services. “There is a health facility, which must be accessible to our people so that we will work around the clock,” Mabuyane said.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said that a contractor has already been appointed.
Executive Mayor Gary Van Niekerk highlighted efforts to connect with the community, stating, “We will be right at their doorsteps, and go out and visit residents and assist residents to new shelters.”
He announced that his office would move to the Kariega Town Hall to facilitate these efforts.
