NC flood damage must urgently be declared provincial disaster
5 February 2021
Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Harold McGluwa, MPL
Extensive flood damage in the Northern Cape, estimated at R600 million, necessitates the urgent declaration of a provincial disaster.
As government is busy assessing the damages, particularly in respect of the roads and bridges that have washed away in the John Taole Gaetsewe (JTG) district (see pics here and here), entire communities have been stranded and left homeless. Major detours have also been initiated across the province.
The damage will undoubtedly hamper access to schools and healthcare. This exacerbates the pandemic challenges, even more so as the province gears up for the vaccine rollout. The agricultural sector and the economy have also been hard hit, with transport of fresh produce affected, and people unable to get to work.