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Houses submerged in flood waters
Scores of flood victims in Mthatha are still stranded in a mass care centre in Northcrest in the Eastern Cape.
While the floods claimed more than hundred lives, it also displaced more than 120 victims.
The victims were moved to the Northcrest Church building, after last year’s floods with a promise to provide them with temporary structures.
The victims are yet to receive the promised temporary structures.
It’s almost eight months since the disastrous floods hit Mthatha. Yet, more than a hundred of the victims are still stranded in a crowded mass-care centre in Northcrest.
Since the municipality moved them to the church hall in June, last year, they have described their lives as a daily struggle.
Flood victims such as Phumzile Sifanele and Buyisile Makhenkce say no government officials have ever come to check on them.
They also have to use their pension monies to buy food.
“The situation is not good at all since we arrived here. It’s been getting worse instead of getting better. The worst thing is that we do not have food in order for us to eat we must use money from our own pockets.”
“We are neglected. None of our leaders come to check on us. We don’t even know what’s happening. The situation is bad because it’s noisy here since there are children. We sleep in the early hours of the morning as the children make a lot of noise. We can’t even reprimand them because their parents don’t reprimand them.”
The devastated victims, including the elderly, say they depend on donations from locals for food.
The visibly sick victims, Zibonele Mbalekwa and Zoleka Mbhiyozo feel neglected by local government leaders.
“As a pensioner, I sometimes take my own money to buy food for all of us instead of taking myself to the doctor. You can hear me when I talk, I am sick. This is not nice at all. It’s very painful. I’m sick. I should go to the doctor with my old age grant money, but due to hunger, I’m forced to buy food. There’s no food here that comes from the municipality. It’s donations that we get from people.”
“A certain lady from around here bought us cabbage, carrots, onions and cooking oil. We often eat samp with no beans here. I can’t even remember the last time we had meat.”
Security guards at the centre have taken it upon themselves to provide meals for the elderly.
One of the guards, Phaphama Mkhovu says she and her colleagues take care of the elderly and the sick during the day.
“Most of the young people at this centre do odd jobs. Only the elderly are left here during the day. They cannot cook, so we help them by cooking for them. After December the situation became very bad here. We take money from our pockets and buy them groceries because they are hungry.”
Attempts to get a comment from the provincial government were unsuccessful.
The King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality says its aware of the situation of flood victims housed at the Northcrest church hall.
Spokesperson Sonwabo Mampoza says they are still in talks with relevant stakeholders with regards to building them temporary shelters.
