Residents along Vaal River in Bloemhof plead for help after flooding

Business people along the banks of the Vaal River in Bloemhof in the North West, are pleading for assistance after their buildings were submerged when the river overflowed due to recent heavy rains.

Five radial gates have been opened at the Bloemhof Dam, as water levels continue to rise.

People who have been evacuated from their properties since Tuesday say they are in dire need of help.

“It all depends on if the insurance will pay, how much are they going to pay out. If the government is willing to help us in that case yes, I will continue.”

“We are devastated, we have no idea how we going to cope with this both emotionally and financially.”

“This also happened in 2010. And we got no help from government.”

Bloemhof residents evacuated following floods

Meanwhile, Lekwa Teemane Mayor Sebang Motlhabi is urging business owners to engage national government.

“Dams are a responsibility of national government, in a form of the Water and Sanitation Department. And the only thing that we are pleading is that the residents must work together with the national department relevant and if perhaps there is a concession from either the part of national government or from the part of the residents, that they are close to the river and as a result of that they should not be building there. Government must enter into talks with them on what is it that can be done for them to be relocated to operate their business somewhere.”