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[File photo]
Residents of Khunotswane Village outside Zeerust say they have been battling continuous flooding for the past two months, with little to no assistance from authorities.
They say over 35 households have been affected, with the floodwaters now spreading to previously unaffected areas, worsening the situation.
Although the mayor of Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality, Dinah Pitso, recently visited the village, residents allege that no concrete measures have been taken to address the situation. They say they fear the situation will deteriorate further as the rainy season continues.
One resident laments, “We have been dealing with these floods since January 15. Houses and toilets have collapsed, and water keeps flowing into our homes, damaging furniture. Some livestock have also died due to the flooding. The situation has made it impossible for us to move around freely.”
Another resident adds, “The situation has worsened after last week’s heavy rains. We have nowhere to sleep, I have to climb onto chairs just to rest. Although I managed to find a place for my children to stay, it’s still not a sustainable solution.”
Meanwhile, a community representative, Tefo Molefe, is calling for urgent intervention from the relevant authorities to address the flooding in the area.
”We are pleading to anybody who can be able to assist with the draining of that water or maybe possibly the trenching of the area so that water can be removed from that areas or possibly people be moved temporarily so that they can also enjoy their rights as civilians in the area because the situation is very worse. It’s now becoming a health risk or even putting the lives of kids at risk because the water is above the knee level in that area.”
