tame TIMES
Thokoza, Palm Ridge, Eden Park
WINNER OF THE 2012 & 2013 EKURHULENI AWARDS: BEST PRINT MEDIA
Becoming the voice of Ekurhuleni
Volume 03, 13 March 2014, Week 11
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Floods a possibility if heavy rains persist Charity Moyo
charity@tametimes.co.za
This is one of the flooded streets in Thokoza, next to the informal settlement.
The country is experiencing heavy rains that have resulted in flooding in many parts of the country. People are urged to remain cautious. People who are residing next to the river banks and are affected with floods are also encouraged to seek assistance from the municipality, in order to be moved to safe places. In a recent incident, an 11-year-old boy from Phake section in Katlehong drowned when he went swimming with his friends in a river between Katlehong and Vosloorus, an even more dangerous venture during the storms this season. Roggers Mamaila, Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services’ communications officer warned the communities living in low lying areas, where the water is already covering their ankles, to move to higher ground
and alert emergency services for assistance. “We are going to make sure that we assist the community and we are warning them to supervise their children whenever they are playing to make sure that they are safe. They should note that any water that is not meant to be a swimming pool is dangerous and if they want to swim they should go to the nearest municipal swimming pool in the area. The weather is cold and we also advise people to be careful when using paraffin stoves for cooking and brazier bins (Imbawula) for warming themselves to avoid major fires,� said Mamaila. He said whenever people make use of brazier bins they should make sure that they remove it from the house when they go to sleep, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Mamaila said people should be cautious during the rainy and cold
weather. Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services have relocated 63 families from Phola Park Informal Settlement in Thokoza following heavy rains over the weekend. The families are currently placed in a temporary shelter at the community hall and are receiving food parcels and blankets from the City of Ekurhuleni. Plans to move the families to a permanent and safer place are currently being finalised. At Sakhile Informal Settlement in Katlehong emergency workers are busy negotiating the relocation of residents to a safer place as the informal settlement has been one of the hardest hit by flooding. The City of Ekurhuleni has responded positively over the situation, with no recorded injuries or loss of life.