OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 6.30pm.
TORRENTIAL rains continued unabated in the northern areas of South Africa for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, leaving at least 38 people dead and thousands homeless.
Northern Province formally applied for disaster status on Thursday following confirmation it will not be able to fund repairs. Damage to government infrastructure is estimated at at least R200-million.
Initial estimates of flood damage to key infrastructure in Mpumalanga run in excess of R500-million.
Swaziland’s capital of Mbabane went without water for a second day on Thursday after an earth tremor and relentless rain damaged supply pipes.
There are concerns that thousands of rural residents in Mpumalanga and the Northern Province may be running out of food after all roads to the region were cut off by the heavy flooding.
Authorities have also warned of an outbreak of cholera, typhoid and malaria.
In the Kruger National Park, the popular Crocodile Bridge, Pretoriuskop, Lower Sabie and Skukuza rest camps that were closed after suffering extensive flood damage this week, will be reopened on February 22. A road link has been re-established between South Africa and the Mozambican capital of Maputo after the main road was washed away earlier this week.
Shack dwellers living on the banks of the Jukskei River in Alexandra township north of Johannesburg had to be evacuated on Thursday morning.
The Westdene Dam west of central Johannesburg burst its banks and water poured onto surrounding roads. Traffic on the M1 and N1 freeways in Johannesburg has also been disrupted by deep water and mudslides.