The DA in Limpopo urgently calls upon the MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, Ernest Rachoene, to immediately assemble a team to assess the massive infrastructure damage to roads and bridges in Limpopo after the floods this past week.
Heavy rainfall and significant floods in different parts of the province have led to the loss of lives, damaged infrastructure, inaccessible roads, disruption of water and electricity service and disrupted day to day activities. Numerous reports received and oversight visits by the DA further revealed the devastating effects of the flooding.
Phalaborwa town is now without electricity and all roads to Phalaborwa are now closed while roads in the Kruger National Park are mostly closed or flooded. A part of Ohrigstad is also without electricity. The Giyani CBD is also under water and shops are closed. Villages around Giyani have been severely affected as these areas have low lying bridges. Community members in Maphata and Munghonghoma villages in Greater Giyani municipality were stranded and trying to fix a bridge as this is the only road connecting them with other areas while In Mbawula village people had to be evacuated by helicopter.
The heavy rains and flooding have caused significant damage to roads and most gravel roads in villages are inaccessible. The R530 at Mica is closed and the D21 at Sekororo is in a very bad condition. The Gurnsey road from the direction of Eastgate Airport in Hoedspruit also remains closed. During an oversight inspection a part of the R 529 from Mica to Tzaneen via Gravelotte disintegrated and resulted in vehicles being stuck. The roads and infrastructure in Burgersfort have also been badly affected by heavy rainfall and are in a very bad state. The Eastgate Airport in Hoedspruit remains closed and this has affected travellers and It is unclear when the airport will return to normal operation.
Reports of bridges that are unsafe to use or that have been washed away continue to pour in. The bridge on the R40 just before Phalaborwa has been washed away and the Lulekani bridge on the R71 has also been washed away and Phalaborwa is now cut off from other areas and deliveries cannot reach town. Many low lying bridges across the province cannot be accessed currently, have been washed away or pose a risk to road users.
The DA calls for an urgent assessment by the department, Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) and SANRAL to determine the extent of the impact of the flooding and torrential rainfall on the roads, bridges and other infrastructure that is the department’s responsibility. Immediate action is now needed to start addressing the severe impact of the flooding on the lives of Limpopo residents.