TSHWANE EMERGENCY SERVICES RESCUE MISSION OVER FLOODS.

Tshwane emergency services spokesperson deputy chief Charles Mabaso said heavy rains from last week and the flooding affected households in Eersterust, Mamelodi (informal settlements), Gomora in Pretoria West, Soshanguve Block KK, Onverwacht in Cullinan, Hammanskraal and Marikana in Centurion. Tshwane emergency services were working around the clock at the weekend providing assistance in flood-hit areas, with one person still missing after being swept away by floodwaters.

Emergency vehicles and helicopters were dispatched to several areas, including Eerste Fabriek in Mamelodi where about 60 people who sought refuge on their rooftops refused to be evacuated. “Two SAPS choppers conducted an aerial assessment of the area and identified about 60 people on rooftops of their dwellings. The people, however, when the members of the SAPS and rescue teams tried to evacuate them, hauled insults at the teams and threw objects at them,” Mabaso said.

Overflowing water meters and above 220mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours was the order of the day in Pretoria following the weekend’s rains. According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS), 100-160mm of rain was reported in parts of Tshwane. Mabaso said when rescue efforts were called off for the day on Saturday, the situation at Eerste Fabriek had been handed over to the community leaders.

In the northern parts of Pretoria more than 200mm of rainfall was recorded by residents. One resident reported approximately 165mm of rain in Mamelodi in 24 hours. Approximately 178mm was reported in 24 hours near Onderstepoort while the Rosslyn area reported 145mm of rain.The EMS department said it responded to multiple flooding incidents on Saturday. Ten people including three children were rescued from a vehicle stuck on a low-water crossing on Saturday night. He called on families suspecting that a loved one may be missing to register a case with the SAPS.