About 200 families were left homeless, two people were dead, and three others missing, after heavy rains and floods ravaged Soweto, Johannesburg Emergency Services said on Friday.
”About 200 families have been left homeless, we are currently busy with organising shelters for these people, which include many children,” said spokesperson Percy Morokane.
He said food and blankets were being handed out to the destitute.
”Eighty people from the Dlamini Kliptown shacks alone have been left homeless, I am not sure where the rest of the people are from.”
The 200 people would be sheltered at the Grace Bible Church, opposite Maponya Mall, and the Dorcas Aid Shelter on Old Potch Road.
”We are also talking with the Red Cross, but right now it is just the police, 4×4 offroad rescue services, and Johannesburg Emergency Services who are on hand.”
He said emergency services and police continued to search for three people who were missing since the floods on Thursday.
”We are still searching for a 20-day-old baby, a taxi driver, and a cyclist who were swept away.”
Morokane said the missing baby was aboard a bus trapped on Ncube Drive and the cyclist was from Mfulo South, he was not sure where the taxi driver was from.
On Thursday, two girls, aged six and 15, died during the floods.
The six-year-old was a passenger in one of three vehicles, including the bus, which was trapped by flood waters on Ncube Drive. Morokane said he was not sure about how the flood victims had died and was not sure if the death toll would rise later in the day.
”We will find out about their cause of deaths as we sift through information, all those details are very unclear at the moment.”
At least five areas in Soweto were flooded. They were Mofolo, Dobsonville, Dube, Orlando and Meadowlands.
African National Congress president Jacob Zuma will visit these on Friday, a party spokesperson said.
Zizi Kodwa said Zuma would be accompanied by Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo, as well as various provincial ministers.
”He will be visiting families affected by the flood and will be accompanied by officials to see what can be done to help the communities,” Kodwa said.
They will be guided through Soweto by local leadership.
More storms expected
The South African Weather Service said more thunderstorms were expected by Friday afternoon.
”Gauteng can expect slow-moving thunderstorms in various areas,” said forecaster Lulama Menze.
She said flooding normally occurred because of ”slow moving thunderstorms”.
”When storms stay in a certain area for too long, there aren’t enough storm drains that can take the capacity of the water. That’s when we get flooding.”
She said proper warning could not be given on time, as slow-moving thunderstorms were difficult to track.
”We will only know, as it happens,” Menze said. — Sapa