Devastated Riverlands flood victims yet to receive building materials

At least 19 people currently housed in the Riverlands POP Centre following the devastation of three dams collapsing in the Swartland municipality, must vacate the space by the end of this month.

This after they were served with a notice to vacate the centre for a social development department inspection for a feeding scheme to continue operating there.

The Swartland municipality says materials will be made available to the affected people by month end.

Riverlands Steering Committee spokesperson, Ralph Burger, said residents were unable to start picking up the pieces of their lives and had not received any materials to rebuild their homes.

“The social development department needs to come do an inspection at the centre for the feeding scheme to continue. The owners of the building need to prepare the building for its inspection. Currently it is not conducive for such an inspection.

“We understand that very much and we have no issue to vacate the premises because these are also vital services that our community needs.

However, the residents housed at the centre have no materials at all to begin picking up their lives since the dams burst and all was lost. These entrepreneurs lost their tools, equipment, and stock, making it impossible to restart their businesses, creating a domino effect,” said Burger.

According to Burger, the feeding scheme and afterschool programme that was offered at the POP Centre had to cease operations since August as residents had to be housed there.

“All we are asking is for building materials for our people, who had lived in informal dwellings before the devastation, to begin rebuilding. They have nowhere else to go,” said Burger.

Swartland municipality spokesperson, Mart-Marié Haasbroek, said materials would be made available by month end.

“This was never meant to be a permanent arrangement and the Swartland Municipality has been working with various stakeholders including the National Department of Human Settlements, the Provincial Department of Infrastructure and the Housing Development Agency to resettle the affected residents.

“The National Department of Housing is in the process of acquiring emergency housing materials, according to the department specifications, and these will be handed over to all the affected residents, including those currently living in the centre. We trust that the materials for resettlement will be made available before the end of the month, and this will allow the remaining residents to resettle and rebuild. If this process is delayed, the Municipality has a backup arrangement in place,” said Haasbroek.

West Coast councillor for the Good Party, Patricia Dixon, called on the municipality to assist the flood victims.

“Families were left with nothing after four dams burst flooding Riverlands and surrounds.

“Three months later residents have been dealt another blow, a looming deadline to vacate the Riverlands POP Centre. We welcome the decommissioning of the dams, as announced by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

“This reactive step will go a long way to prevent another tragedy. However it will do nothing to assist the victims left behind by the August flooding,” said Dixon.

Cape Times